An Explosive Situation
by leiasky
Summary: Six months into seaQuest’s second tour, Bridger is ordered to escort a team of scientists from a highly classified underwater facility to a highly publicized trial. Nathan and Kristin pairing.
1. Prologue

**Notes**:

I wanted this story to read like a novel instead of like an episode which is how '_Hostile Waters'_ and '_Prelude to Disaster'_ were meant to read. Which means the construction of it has taken a long time, and there is far more attention to detail - I hope . . .

You'll have to tell me if I've succeeded.

MUCH thanks goes to Mal4prez on this site for the beta. The woman is a saint to beta read a fic for a show she's never seen.

**Synposis**: Six months into the newly rebuilt seaQuest's second tour, Bridger is ordered to escort a team of scientists from a highly classified underwater facility located 20,000 feet beneath the surface to New Cape Quest, Florida where they will testify in a highly publicized trial. Little does he know, an old friend is one of those scientists that he and his boat will need to protect with their lives.

I welcome and encourage constructive criticism and feedback. The more you leave, the more chapters I will post. . . The story is finished and is 14 chapters and an epilog long . . . How quickly I post them will depend on you, the readers . . . :)

**An Explosive Situation**

**Prologue**

Nathan Bridger, Captain of the United Earth Oceans Organization's flagship, rolled over and draped an arm over his eyes.

It was still dark. His alarm hadn't yet sounded or turned on the lights in his cabin. It was still too early, but he wasn't asleep. He was just lying there - remembering the day his life had changed - and not for the better.

The picture in his mind was clear as day. He stood on the bridge of the seaQuest giving a short but sweet farewell speech to his crew as the end of their tour loomed. Less than a day later, he realized he should have addressed that farewell speech to his beloved boat, too.

He'd sacrificed the greatest and most powerful seafaring vessel ever built to save the world. A noble sacrifice, he'd tried to convince himself. But what, exactly had it cost him?

_Nathan scowled at the time as he hurried toward the temporary quarters that had been set up for the crew of the seaQuest. He was late. That damn inquest meeting had run over because some insignificant mid-west Senator who supported the World Power Project wasn't happy with the events leading to its destruction. Only at the end, after overwhelming testimony in support of Bridger's decision to sacrifice his ship and prevent the worlds oceans from cooking at an alarming rate, did the man relent and throw in his reluctant support to spend untold millions to rebuild seaQuest instead of a new World Power facility._

_Now, Nathan was hurrying toward the restaurant, already thirty minutes late. He was still in his military uniform, but returning to change would have made him later, and he didn't want to keep her waiting any longer than necessary._

_When he arrived, he scanned the tables before the maitre'd indicated that his party was sitting on the balcony. He nodded his thanks and walked out the large double doors and back into the fresh, if somewhat humid, Florida air._

_He could feel the smile spread across his face when his eyes fell on Kristin Westphalen delicately taking a sip of wine. She was elegantly dressed in a thin dark dress that hugged what he could see of her curves and sloped enticingly low down her pale back._

"_I'm sorry I'm late," he said as he willed his feet to move. She smiled at him over the rim of her glass. "Jumping through the bureaucratic hoops this week has been enough to make me consider retiring again."_

"_And you wonder why I dislike the military." Her eyes sparkled and he simply chuckled. He knew well her opinions on the subject. _

_He nodded briefly at the waiter when he arrived to pour an additional glass of wine._

"_You look lovely, Kristin," he said with a bit less reservation than the last time he'd said those words – when they'd attempted their first private dinner aboard seaQuest._

_She smiled shyly at him, if anything the woman did or said could be considered shy. "Thank you."_

_He glanced down at his uniform. "The inquest ran far longer than I expected." He felt odd explaining himself. It wasn't as if they were dating. It was simply a dinner with a friend. A very close friend. "I didn't want to keep you waiting."_

_Her eyes scanned his before they dropped to scrutinize his uniform. "You look fine, Nathan." He found himself following her gaze as she looked around the balcony. "This is a military town. Uniforms aren't exactly out of place here."_

_He chuckled. "I suppose not."_

_During dinner, the conversation turned toward the future and how the approval, at the end of a long, irritating inquest, had been given to build a bigger, better seaQuest._

"_I'm a little concerned about the work load, but, it's not something I haven't taken on before," he explained. "I'll put together my own team. Lucas is ecstatic that he'll get to be a part of it."_

"_His father's too busy, hmm?" The disappointment in her voice was evident. It matched his own._

"_Yeah. But, I'll keep him busy."_

_Kristin smiled and he knew at that moment something was wrong. She should have been more excited. Outwardly, she was happy for him, but there was something else in her demeanor that Nathan couldn't quite put his finger on._

"_You've really been more of a father to him than his real one, you know."_

"_I've done what I thought was best with his situation. I highly doubt he thinks of me in that roll." He'd come to love Lucas as a son but he'd also struggled very hard to make sure he didn't use Lucas as a replacement for his own lost child. _

_When Kristin leaned forward and covered his hand with hers, he smiled and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I think you might be surprised."_

_He leaned forward and took a deep breath. He'd been afraid to ask before now, but he needed an answer. He'd be putting his design team together starting tomorrow. "So what do I need to do to convince you to help me design the science section of the new boat?"_

_His eyes searched hers when she hesitated. "I –"_

_He continued quickly. "The UEO will put you up here or, you're welcome to stay with Lucas and I at my place."_

"_Nathan –"_

_He chuckled and raised his hands. "Ok, ok, not at my place. We don't need to move so fast. But –"_

"_I've taken a job elsewhere."_

_Nathan closed his mouth and stared. It was an answer that he'd considered, but didn't expect it to already be a done deal. She was an incredibly talented and smart woman, far more than qualified to be the head medical and scientific officer aboard the UEO's flagship. _

_He expected to be able to try and talk her out taking any other position. It was difficult to mask the disappointment on his face and he knew she'd seen it._

"_Where?"_

"_I can't talk about the specifics." He could see the apology in her face._

"_A classified assignment?"_

"_It really is the job of a lifetime and I – couldn't pass it up."_

_He could see the sadness in her gaze, the wish that she didn't have to tell him._

"_I see." He reached for his glass and took a long sip of wine. "The new boat will take a while to build. Maybe after –"_

"_I'm not certain how long I'll be gone. Where we're going –"_

"_- is classified," he finished for her. _

"_I wanted to tell you sooner, but there just hasn't been any time. We've both been so busy." He could detect the regret in her voice._

"_When do you leave?"_

"_Tomorrow."_

_His chest clenched tightly and he resisted the urge to say anything and everything to get her to stay. Music began in the background, light, airy and romantic. Nathan pushed his chair back suddenly and stood. When he held out his hand to her, she stared at it uncertainly. " I guess we'd better make the most of tonight then, hmm?"_

_He smiled at the briefly visible look of relief that passed across her face as she stood. She walked around the table, her elegant dress hugging every curve, and slipped easily into his arms._

Nathan sighed heavily and removed his arm from his eyes. He stared at the ceiling of his cabin for a long, long minute before rolling onto his side and punching his pillow.

That conversation had been over two years ago. He'd gotten a few sporadic messages over the course of the next year, but then there had been nothing. He made a few inquiries but when they'd come up empty, he mourned the loss of what could have been and buried himself in his work.

The new seaQuest had been built and her crew staffed in a very short period of time. She'd been sailing for the last six months. The most impressively beautiful ship he'd ever seen.

He just wished he could get thoughts of Kristin Westphalen out of his head. It did him no good, and it certainly had hindered him from so much as looking at another woman – until Wendy Smith came along, anyway. He had been quickly attracted to her, but there was an emotional wall that stood between him being willing to take another chance. He'd mourned his dead wife Carol for so long, until his friendship with Kristin had slowly drawn him out of that shell he'd been living under. He'd taken a chance with her and gotten hurt in the process.

Nathan closed his eyes and scowled at the vid-screen when it chimed to indicate an incoming call. He slid out of bed and donned a robe before tapping the command to accept the call. "What is it, Commander?"

"Sorry to disturb you, sir." Commander Ford actually did look apologetic and Nathan wondered if he'd actually finally broken the younger man from a little of his military rigidity. "But we've got a call coming in for you from Secretary General McGath."

Nathan yawned and nodded. "Put him through, Commander."

* * *

The lights from the submerged dome flickered rhythmically in the darkness of the deep. The water that flowed around them was dark and black, and the lights barely penetrated a few feet into it.

Inside, scientists moved around their lab with precise, expert motion. There were rooms of specimens of all kinds sitting on shelves. Mostly sea life, though some were humanoid in shape. Tables of medical equipment filled the center of the rooms. A hyperbaric chamber was set into the east side of the facility, to the west was a room containing nothing special, though its doors were several feet thick.

In a private conference south of the main dome sat two scientists, their white lab coats hanging open as they stared at the large vid-screen attached to the wall.

"We're going to secure a different avenue of transportation."

"A safer one, perhaps?" the woman asked, her expression skeptical.

"It will only hurt the UEO's position in the trial if we're assassinated on the way there," Doctor Devon Tye, a young man in his thirties with jet black hair and piercing green eyes, responded.

Secretary General McGath dismissed the doctor's concern with a wave of his hand. "You're going to be brought in by the most powerful boat in the water. No one in their right mind will attack them to get to you."

Tye glanced at his companion, a petite, flame-haired woman in her mid-forties. She sighed heavily and shook her head. "Nathan Bridger isn't going to be happy about playing taxi."

McGath chuckled. "Those were almost the exact words he used. But he's got his orders and is obligated to follow them whether he likes it or not. He can't as easily get away with disobeying orders like he could with his old pal William Noyce."

"So he's been briefed on our situation?" Doctor Tye asked, concern creasing his otherwise smooth features.

"No. Your research is classified."

The petite woman closed her eyes and groaned. "Oh, I bet he liked that news even less than being informed that he will be using his boat as a taxi service."

McGath ignored her comment. "SeaQuest is scheduled to dock at 0800 tomorrow. I've already had your aliases transmitted to Bridger. He's assured me you'll be met and escorted to a secure part of the boat by hand-selected members of their security."

"Are you sure seaQuest is the only way?" the woman asked, clearly hesitant.

"After what happened the last time we tried to fly you here? They are going to be the _only_ way to insure you reach this trial alive to testify."

Kristin Westphalen leaned forward, her hands clasped in front of her. "There is no alias you can give him that will keep my real identity a secret."

"That's why your people are being segregated from the crew, Doctor." McGath said with confidence. "Those aliases are to protect you as much as anyone else who comes into contact with you."

The vid-screen blinked off and Kristin leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

Devon Tye leaned over her, concerned. "You ok?"

"I haven't seen him in over two years, Devon. I'm not sure we're going to get a very warm welcome."

* * *

President of the South American Confederation Salvador Vargas sat behind his polished mahogany desk, his thick fingers clasped together atop it.

Beside him, his military General Cesar Marquand smiled happily as they watched the vid-screen in front of them. A helicopter with the United Earth Organization's symbol emblazoned on the side sailed low over a large expanse of crystal clear ocean waters.

Vargas turned slowly toward his General. If he hadn't been the one in charge, the man's girth would have intimidated him. "I trust all will be taken care of?"

"As you've ordered, Mr. President," Marquand responded with an eerie enthusiasm. "The charges are set to detonate in a few short minutes. You will have a ring-side seat, sir."

Vargas leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Most excellent, Marquand. What about our other project?"

Marquand pointed a small remote toward the vid-screen and the picture blinked away to reveal a small tributary, not more than a wading pool, really, surrounded by an expanse of trees and wild-life. There were a few small thatched huts surrounding it, the only indication that human life existed in the area.

Marquand's chest puffed out proudly. "As you can see, the testing is going well."

Vargas turned to his General, an excited awe plainly visible on his face. "You're sure this can be contained?"

"We're working on containment capabilities now, sir."

"See to it that before this weapon is used outside of this Confederation, that there is no way that it can be carried by wind, rain or earth, back to our borders." Vargas turned his attention back to the vid-screen. The picture zoomed from its wide angle to focus on different parts of the area.

Every living organism, whether it walked on land, sailed through the air or floated through the water, lay dead. The ground was littered with bodies of all shapes and sizes and as Marquand clicked the remote to give the President a closer look at the devastation, a call crackled over the communication device on the large mahogany desk.

Vargas depressed a button to receive the call. "Yes, what is it?"

"Sir, we've got a problem," came an uncertain voice from the other side of the unit.

Vargas exchanged a look with Marquand. "What kind of problem?"

"The transport just exploded."

Vargas exchanged an amused look with his General. "Wasn't that the intention?"

"Yes, sir, of course, sir, but it exploded before it reached its destination." There was fear in the man's voice. This clearly wasn't news he was happy to be delivering.

The smile vanished from Vargas' lips and he leveled an angry gaze at Marquand. "What do you mean?"

"They're still alive, sir."

Vargas launched himself to his feet. "What?!"

"I don't know what happened, sir."

"You'd better find out before I have you terminated for failure to carry out my very explicit instructions." Vargas terminated the call before the man could respond and then glanced up at Marquand. "If those scientists reach the United States alive, I will see to it personally that you are dropped into the center of our next testing ground."

Marquand's jaw tightened and he nodded curtly to the President. "I assure you Mr. President, they will not reach UEO headquarters alive, and neither will their evidence."

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Nathan Bridger was mad, steaming mad, as he paced the same path around the table in the Ward Room. On the vid-screen in front of him was General Reginald Thomas, current head of the North American Confederation military.

"I understand your frustration, Captain, but it is of the utmost importance that seaQuest be the one to bring in these scientists."

Nathan took too large a sip of his coffee and winced when it burned its way down his throat. After the night he'd had, he really wasn't in the mood to play military games – or use his boat to run errands.

"SeaQuest isn't a taxi service, General."

"Secretary General McGath has loaned seaQuest to me for the next few days, Captain. You have your instructions as to what to do with your passengers and their cargo once they arrive."

General Thomas wasn't going to budge on this and Nathan knew it; knew it by the tone of his voice and his rigid stance. Nathan was annoyed that he couldn't refuse the order. He missed the days where he could at least get a bit more information out of the man ordering him to do things he didn't want to do. He missed his old friend Bill Noyce right about now.

But he wasn't about to give up. Not yet. "Damnit, General, if those scientists are carrying some cargo that could be harmful to my crew, I need to know."

Nathan wanted to slap the man for rolling his eyes so smugly. "Oh, Bridger, it isn't anything so dramatic. They're bringing research samples -"

Nathan stopped his pacing and stared at the vid-screen, hands on his hips. "I'm picking them up from _inside_ the South American Confederation's 12 mile border, twenty thousand _feet_ beneath the surface of the ocean and _I'm_ being dramatic?"

"Their work is classified."

"General, please, everything surrounding these people is classified." Nathan folded his arms across his chest. "I wasn't born yesterday. There's something you're not telling me."

Thomas leaned forward and stared hard at Nathan. "Their research is being used in a high profile trial and therefore we need them escorted by the most powerful boat in the waters."

Nathan kept his surprise contained. "The UEO/ South American Confederation trial?"

General Thomas shrugged. "Just make sure the Confederation doesn't know you're there."

Nathan ground his jaw in frustration. "What aren't you telling me?"

General Thomas glanced over and nodded to someone off screen before returning his attention to Bridger. "You've got their names. Just get them here as soon as possible."

Nathan opened his mouth to say something more but the vid-screen flicked off. He carefully set his mug on the table and growled at the dark screen. "Argh, sometimes I think Kristin was justified in her disdain for the military."

* * *

The sounds of splashing drew Wendy Smith, seaQuest's current chief medical officer, onto sea deck. At least, that's what she'd tell them if they asked. In reality, she'd heard from the science staff that usually occupied the area that the three needed to go. The deck would be off limits as soon as those scientists arrived.

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched from the doorway as Lucas and Tony played fetch with Darwin.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Lucas called over Darwin's insistent splashing. "You two can hold your breath longer than I can!"

Tony Piccolo, part of the UEO's prisoner transfer program assigned to seaQuest, stood up and pointed to his sides. The gills implanted there sucked greedily at the air. "Maybe you should get yerself some a these, then, huh?"

"Man-fish," Darwin's synthesized voice was translated from the vo-coder to the speakers surrounding the pool.

Wendy could see Lucas grimace when he looked down at Piccolo's side. She still found it difficult to believe that Tony had willingly allowed himself to be experimented on just to get out of prison early.

The doctor smiled when she heard Lucas say, "Uh, no thanks. I like my body just the way it is."

Tony shrugged his shoulders and then dove down into the pool to fetch the weighted ball they'd been tossing back and forth.

"Hey you three." Wendy took this lull in their play to deliver the bad news. "Playtime is over."

"Doctor play?" Darwin asked, his unending smile tipped upward toward the new arrival.

Wendy smiled kindly at the dolphin. She didn't much like to swim. "Not today, Darwin."

"We're off duty, Doctor, why's we gotta go?" Tony asked as he walked toward them carrying the weighted ball.

"We're nearing the pickup point for those scientists and their cargo. Captain Bridger has designated sea deck and the cabins closest to it theirs for the duration of their stay."

"Darwin meet new people?" It was difficult not to smile. She often wondered if the vo-coder was translating tone properly. If it was, that dolphin was always extremely cheerful.

"Afraid not, boy," Lucas rubbed Darwin's head, his melon, as the scientists called it. "They're special. Most of us won't even get to meet them."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Tony lifted himself effortlessly over the side of the pool. "Cap won't even tell us what's going on."

"I'm sure he would if he could, Tony," Wendy intoned with a sigh. But in truth, she didn't know much more than anyone else and it grated on her nerves. She'd have to find a way to talk to the captain before they picked up the scientists. As chief medical officer, it was rare to be kept so out of the loop about incoming scientists bringing unidentified cargo aboard.

"Yeah, well I don't like it one bit," Tony grumbled.

Lucas' personal communication device chirped and the teen pulled himself out of the pool.

"Yes?"

"Lucas, I need you in the wardroom, please," came Bridger's voice. It sounded strained and just a little bit stressed, which concerned Wendy even further.

"Be right there." Lucas clicked off the communicator and wrapped a towel around his neck. "I'll see ya later, Darwin."

"Bye." This time, Wendy noted, the tone was flat.

* * *

Nathan Bridger and Jonathan Ford glanced up from the table when Lucas entered the Ward Room.

"You wanted to see me?" Lucas asked. His hair was still wet and his clothes were as loose-fitting as ever. He ignored the disapproving look Ford threw at him.

"Yes." Nathan motioned for the teen to come forward and then lifted the paper he and Jonathan had been examining. "These are the names of the scientists that we'll be picking up. I want you to run a check on them. See who they are."

Nathan had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at Lucas' shocked look.

"Captain, hacking into a UEO secure database is illegal. If I get caught –"

"You never get caught, Lucas. That's why you're an invaluable member of this crew."

Nathan scrutinized Lucas closely as he glanced down and read the names.

"Devon Tye, Raymond Tan, Rachel Tan, Kris West and Frank Yu." Lucas looked up and Nathan could anticipate the coming question. "Should these names mean anything to me? To you?"

"Neither General Thomas nor Secretary General McGath were forthcoming with information about them and I think they're hiding something."

Lucas laughed. "Politicians always do, Captain."

Nathan and Ford chuckled. "Yes, well, be that as it may, I want to know everything about those five people before they set foot on my boat. Can you do that, Lucas?"

Nathan was proud when Lucas replied, "I'll get right on it."

After Lucas left, Nathan turned to Ford. "My annoyance at seaQuest being used as a taxi service aside, I have a bad feeling about this."

Ford glanced at the door Lucas had left open when he exited. "You took the words right out of my mouth, sir."

* * *

The captain paced the bridge in irritation as seaQuest neared their destination. He was tired and annoyed and his day didn't seem to be getting any better. And if he had to deflect one more person from asking him about these passengers, he was going to lock himself in his cabin until they disembarked.

"Good, keep WSKR's on the move, Mr. Ortiz. I don't want to get caught out here." He turned to O'Neill. "And keep an ear open for any unusual communications."

"At this depth, we won't be able to transmit effectively with anyone on the surface without deploying a communications array."

"I'm aware of that, Mr. O'Neill. Just keep all lines of communication open."

O'Neill swiveled in his chair, his eyes betraying his concern. "Aren't we a little too close to the South American Confederation, sir?"

"Too close for my comfort, actually." Bridger turned toward helm control. "Distance and depth?"

"Approaching twenty thousand feet, sir. We're ten minutes out."

"Slow to one half and get me the facility as soon as we're close enough to communicate."

He wondered what a research station was doing so far under the sea and _inside_ another Confederation's border. It wasn't common or safe to build at such depths when conventional underwater equipment would be crushed even attempting to approach the facility. There weren't many subs that could even bring scientists to this place to begin with. In fact, Nathan thought as he tugged gently at his beard, seaQuest was the only sub that could reliably sink to that depth and he had never been to this place before.

Nathan walked up behind Lucas' back and leaned over his shoulder. "Any luck?"

The perplexed look the teen gave him wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"No, sir. And I don't get it." Lucas pointed to his screen. "There's just nothing here. It's like their files have been erased."

"I wonder how long they've been down here, sir," Commander Ford said from his position behind the captain.

Nathan stood to his full height and sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder that myself, Jonathan."

"WSKR's have reached the facility, sir."

The captain put his hands at his waist and walked toward the center of the room. "On front screen, Mr. Ortiz."

After a moment, an image of the facility appeared on the screen. It was dome-shaped, hardly lit and half of it disappeared into the undersea cliff. If they hadn't been given its precise position, it would have been nearly impossible to find.

"Wonder what they do down here?" Ortiz asked aloud as they approached.

"I'm not sure I want to know," O'Neill's eyes were glued to the screen as more of the facility came into view. It was dark, opaque, nearly the color of the water itself.

"Well I do," Nathan said and turned toward James Brody, his head of security. "Everything set?"

The tall, blond man nodded. "Yes, sir."

Brody tended to be cocky in many situations but this one had him on edge. It had them all on edge and Nathan didn't like it. "Make sure that docking collar is secure. Then let's get these people over here."

Nathan glanced once more at Lucas, whose eyes were now glued to the vid-screen as well. "Nothing?"

Lucas shook his head. "No. Sorry, Captain."

Nathan shook his head and nodded to Ford. "You've got the bridge, Commander."

With one last look at the facility looming closer, Nathan walked off the bridge and into the mag-lev transport that would take him to the launch bay. His annoyance over this whole situation had faded considerably, to be replaced by an undeniable curiosity. He'd get his answers, one way or another.

* * *

When the captain arrived in the launch bay, Brody and his men were already in place waiting by the ramp.

"Lock this area down, Lieutenant," the captain instructed before stopping at the end of the ramp. "If its seclusion they want, then we are obligated to provide it."

"Already done, sir."

"Good." Nathan walked toward the nearest comm. unit and asked, "Bridge?"

"We're docked, sir. Just waiting for confirmation from the scientists," Ford answered amidst a crackle of static. Even short range communication was spotty at this depth.

Nathan wondered what was taking so long. "Do they need assistance?"

"They were quite adamant that no one meet them."

Nathan scowled. He hated all this secret military crap. Funny, that, since the military signed his paychecks.

It was difficult to keep the annoyed tone out of his voice. "Well _kindly_ inform them that we have a schedule to keep and they need to hurry on over here so that we can get underway."

Nathan glanced over to see Darwin watching him silently through the glass of the moon pool. With a grin, he moved over to greet the dolphin. As he got closer, the cetacean lifted his head out of the water.

"You know how jealous the crew is right now, boy?" Nathan reached over and flipped on the vo-coder.

"Bridger swim?"

Nathan chuckled. "No time right now, boy. We're waiting on a delivery."

"Fish?"

His friend certainly did have a one track mind. If it wasn't playing, it was fish. "New scientists."

"Lucas wants to meet them."

Nathan thought for a moment. "Did Lucas send you here to spy?"

The dolphin shook his head and splashed water around the pool. "Information gather."

Nathan reached out to rub Darwin's head but was interrupted by a call from Brody.

"They're on their way now, sir."

Nathan flipped off the vo-coder and gave the dolphin a sympathetic look. "I'd much rather play."

He wiped his damp hand on his jumpsuit leg and marched back over to the end of the ramp. "Let's get moving, we've got a schedule to keep," he muttered to himself as the first scientist appeared, a case firmly grasped in his hand. He was wiry with dark hair and a determined look on his face.

Two others, and asian man and woman, appeared behind the first, carrying a large case between them. Nathan nodded to the security waiting at the head of the ramp to lend aid.

The black-haired man extended his hand. "Devon Tye. Captain Bridger, I assume?"

Nathan shook the man's hand with a nod of his head. "Yes, indeed. Your accommodations have been provided as per UEO specifications."

"Thank you."

Nathan glanced around the scientist's shoulder to see a bunch of large, body sized crates being carried in by security.

"We have a great deal of – research that we're transporting to NCQ."

Nathan's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "I see." Nathan returned his attention to Tye. "I don't suppose you can tell me-"

"I'm afraid not, Captain."

Nathan pursed his lips and straightened his shoulders as they continued to move in different sized crates. After another moment, two more scientists moved to stand beside Tye.

"Captain, this is Raymond and Rachel Tan, and –" Tyel glanced behind him to see the last two members of his group approaching. Nathan didn't bother to follow his eye line. Instead, he glanced over at Darwin, who had his head out of the water and was chirping incessantly.

Nathan shook his head and sighed. "My apologies, doctor, it seems Darwin is excited to have visit-." But he trailed off when the last two scientists made their way down the ramp.

The captain could hear Tye continuing as if there had been no interruption, but he only barely registered the man's words.

"- my chief scientist Kris West and her assistant, Frank Yu."

It was a face he hadn't seen in two years but it was one he would never, ever forget. She hadn't changed. She was still as beautiful as he remembered.

"Hello Nathan."

He swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Kristin."

Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan could see the uncertain look Devon Tye shot at Kristin, but ignored it. Clearly, the names he'd been given were false and the annoyance at that realization overrode any excited feeling he might have had upon seeing Kristin standing on his boat again.

When Brody stepped forward, Nathan reluctantly tore his eyes away from Kristin and stared at his head of security.

"We're set, sir."

Nathan nodded curtly. "Then back us up, Mr. Brody. Best speed to New Cape Quest."

* * *

General Marquand and President Vargas kept their faces impartial as UEO Secretary General McGath continued with his proclamation. He was smug and the last thing Marquand appreciated was a smug enemy. He folded his long arms across his large torso.

"I have already assured you that our Confederation has done nothing illegal," Vargas said in his own defense, but the UEO leader obviously still didn't believe him.

"When our star witnesses arrive to testify, you may wish to reconsider your statement," McGath intoned firmly. His eyes wavered not a bit and Marquand could see the military escort standing behind the man.

"Those witnesses that you placed illegally within our 12 mile border?" Vargas began to lose his temper but there was nothing Marquand could do but listen. It would show a dissention in the ranks if he were to publicly correct his leader in front of his enemies. "I think it is _you,_ Mr. Secretary, who should be on trial here, not us."

"You should approach these proceedings with caution, _Mr. President_." Marquand could hear in his enemy's tone that he didn't expect Vargas to hold in his rage much longer. "We will have the proof we need to convict you and your confederation of crimes against humanity."

"Best of luck to you in your search." Vargas slammed his fingers onto a control on his desk at the vid-screen snapped off. He turned to Marquand, his eyes blazing with anger. "Who is picking them up? What vessel has the capabilities?"

"Only one," Marquand's tone was a mixture of fear and awe. The UEO controlled submarine was the strongest in the sea and no ship that was stupid enough to confront it came out the victor.

"SeaQuest," President Vargas hissed

"Yes, sir, we have reports that they've been sent to extract the scientists." General Marquand set his jaw to keep from wincing at his leader's tone.

"Is the toxin ready?"

Marquand shook his head quickly. "Not yet, sir."

"Then you'd better come up with another way of stopping that boat from reaching the United States."

General Marquand rubbed his chin with a black-gloved hand and allowed a small smile. "I've already set a plan in motion."

"It had better work, General."

"There are a few weaknesses I intend to exploit."

Vargas sneered and Marquand could see that the president didn't understand. He didn't really expect him to. The man was a politician. He hadn't stepped out into the real world in years. "SeaQuest doesn't have any weaknesses."

Marquand grinned knowingly. "They do now."

TBC

* * *

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	3. Chapter 2

Thanks, everyone, for your lovely comments thus far! I hope you continue to enjoy.

**Chapter 2**

Darwin's continued squeaks drew everyone's attention and Kristin immediately hurried over to the moon pool to greet her friend.

"Hi Darwin. How have you been?" She reached in and rubbed the grey-hued melon and smiled when he shook his head and splashed her in his excitement.

She could hear Devon behind her, his question no doubt directed at the captain. "She told me about your dolphin. Is it true that he can speak?"

Silence followed for a minute before Nathan answered stiffly. "You're cleared for a lot of things, Mr. Tye, but I'm not sure our classified experiments with Darwin are included."

Kristin straightened and frowned at Nathan. She already knew he wasn't happy about picking them up and likely even more so knowing he'd been given aliases for their names. "Nathan, we're cleared." She waited, even though she didn't need to, for him to nod before flipping on the vo-coder.

"Kristin back!"

Kristin leaned back over the pool and rubbed his nose. "It's good to see you again, Darwin."

"Doctor Kristin and Bridger swim?"

Kristin laughed and when she glanced back, she completely ignored the shocked look on Tye's face. Her eyes were drawn to the captain's. To the way he looked at her with a mixture of annoyance, sadness and – curiosity.

"That's simply amazing," Tye murmured in awe. He stepped hesitantly forward and Kristin moved aside so he could examine Darwin more closely.

Voices faded into the background and she knew she should be paying more attention to the rest of her team, but security was handling them for the moment and Tye was completely enamored of Darwin.

She took a step toward the captain but stopped when a tall, blond man appeared at his shoulder. Kristin had never seen him before but his uniform indicated that he was seaQuest's head of security. Her eyes scanned the man, he was much younger than the last chief she'd worked with. The thought took her briefly back to her first voyage with the UEO's flagship, and her last chief of security.

"_I'm gonna miss you, Gator," Nathan said as he clasped his friend's hand and squeezed tightly._

_Kristin stood beside the captain and waited for the friends to say their goodbyes. She hadn't gotten to know the Chief as well as some others over the course of the voyage, but she could see the sadness in Nathan's eyes as the two old friends spoke._

"_It's time, Cap." Manilow Crocker looked out over the sea. "I've given her so much of my life, its time to move on."_

"_What happened to retirement?" Nathan joked, and Kristin found herself lost in his teasing smile. It'd been the first time since he'd had to destroy his boat that she'd seen it. _

_She stood close enough to feel the heat radiating from him. They didn't touch, but it didn't matter, the two men were old friends and knew each other well. Crocker's eyes flicked knowingly toward her before he answered his friend's question._

"_It's overrated, you know that."_

_The two men shared another laugh, and then a tight hug. When they parted, Kristin was surprised to find herself being pulled against Crocker's broad chest, tickled by the scruffy beard that adorned his wide face._

"_Take good care of him," Crocker whispered for her ears only. When they parted, she smiled warmly and bade him farewell._

She hadn't seen him since.

"Everything's loaded, sir," Brody said with a nod. Once the message had been delivered, his eyes shifted curiously between Kristin and his commanding officer. His eyes narrowed, and she could tell that he picked up on the tension in the room, particularly where she was concerned.

"Thank you, Mr. Brody. Please escort the scientists to their quarters."

Tye turned around at this point to look at the captain but it was Nathan who spoke first.

"Sea deck has been cordoned off as per UEO instructions, Doctor Tye and the cabins closest to this area have been vacated for your use."

Kristin winced at the professionalism in the captain's tone. His reaction, both in his stance and in his voice, screamed annoyance, and she had no doubt that the feeling had been exacerbated by her presence. When he nodded curtly to them and turned around to leave, she felt that she needed to explain, needed to put things right between them.

"This way, please," Brody said but she brushed past him and followed the captain's quickly retreating back.

"Nathan, wait."

"You're restricted to this area of my boat, Doctor."

Kristin winced. There was no familiarity there, only the tone of a highly irritated man. It was a tone she remembered well. He used it when he was hurt and trying to protect himself.

She reached out and touched his shoulder to emphasize her point. "I think we need to talk, Nathan."

He whirled on her, but his eyes betrayed much more than she knew he wanted her to see. "You said all you wanted to say two years ago."

She could see the tension in his shoulders, the nervousness and anger. She allowed herself to be scrutinized as his eyes slid down her body and back up again.

"I need to-" she started and huffed when he interrupted her again.

"I'm not cleared for whatever you have to tell me, Doctor. Now if you'll kindly make your way back to sea deck, Chief Brody will take you to your cabin."

Kristin tightened her hand on his arm. "I'd rather you take me."

She could see him hesitate and would have laughed if she thought it would lighten the tension that nearly suffocated the room. When he nodded slightly, she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

* * *

"Captain not back yet?" Brody asked as he walked onto the bridge and looked around for the older man.

Ford straightened from where he leaned over a nearby console and regarded the security chief with a curious look. "I thought he was down in the launch bay with you?"

"He was, but he left before I did."

"He's probably meeting with the scientists." Ford turned back to his work. He didn't need to know where the captain was at every moment of the day. If Ford needed him, he'd call.

"He was pretty unhappy to see one of 'em."

This piqued Ford's curiosity and he turned to regard Brody very carefully. "Really?"

"Yeah. Hot lookin' woman, too." The lust on his face was evident.

Ford cocked his head and shot Brody a disapproving look. The man had a one track mind.

Brody shrugged. "Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em."

Ford ignored Lucas as he stepped down from the console with a frown. "I still can't get anything on those scientists. It's like they don't even exist."

Ford ignored Lucas and squinted at Brody. "What did she look like?" The captain knew a lot of people but very rarely was he visibly upset at seeing any of them – well, except the UEO brass when they were ordering him to do something he didn't want to do. But this was different, and Ford had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The predatory smile on Brody's face made Ford roll his eyes. "Tiny little red-head with pretty eyes."

That little pit began to gnaw a much larger hole and just as he shook his head to deny the possibility, but Lucas turned to him. "You don't think. . . ?"

Ford shook his head. "No. Her name wasn't on the list." Ford knew the captain had been disappointed, even a bit angry, when Doctor Westphalen had taken a position elsewhere and decided not to return when the rebuilt seaQuest was ready to set sail. But it had been two years. Surely whatever had happened, or not happened, between the two was long done and over with.

"Who?" Brody asked. His eyes darted between the two men, betraying his confusion.

The nagging feeling got stronger the longer they stood there, until Ford finally answered, "An old friend."

Brody chuckled in a smarmy way. "She wasn't old, that's for sure. But the captain didn't seem real happy to see her."

Ford exchanged a worried look with Lucas and then turned to O'Neill. "Get me the captain, please."

O'Neill nodded quickly and flipped a few switches. He finally looked up when he'd located the captain. "I've got Commander Ford on the line for you, sir."

Ford picked up his headset and secured it over his ear. "Private link, please, O'Neill."

Ford could hear the connection and touched a hand to the earpiece. "Sir, is everything all right?"

"Fine, Commander. What's going on?"

"Nothing sir, Brody just came back and said –"

"Everything's fine, Commander."

Ford could hear the emotional strain in the captain's voice but said nothing. It wasn't his place to question the man, especially when there was nothing going on that needed his attention.

"Very well, sir. We're eighteen hours out of NCQ."

"Thank you, Commander."

Ford grimaced as the link went dead.

"Well?" Lucas' eyes were wide as he impatiently bounced in place waiting for information.

"He's busy."

"Doing?"

"I didn't ask"

Ford raised a hand to stop the oncoming tirade. "Lucas, if he wanted me to know what he was doing, he would have told me."

Lucas frowned and turned to leave the bridge but Ford stopped him. "Didn't the captain give you something to do?"

"Yeah, but I can't –"

"I didn't think _can't_ was in your vocabulary."

Ford grinned as Lucas shuffled his feet and went back to his work station. If the captain didn't tell him what was going on, it was better off that Lucas didn't try to interfere.

* * *

Nathan Bridger paced around the small room pointedly not looking at Kristin. Their first few moments alone had been awkward at best. He didn't like the feelings of anger and sadness she could evoke in him, even after almost two years. Their breakup had as much his fault as hers, but he couldn't let go of the annoyance at being left out of any important loop that concerned her.

"Please sit down, Nathan."

He knew his pacing didn't alleviate any of the tension between them. If anything, it was made even worse. "I'd rather stand."

He stopped when she moved to his side and laid a hand on his arm. He knew her insistence was meant to calm him, at least he hoped so anyway. "Please sit."

He scrutinized her a bit more closely. In the privacy of the guest cabin, he could see the more pronounced circles under her eyes, the tension and nervousness in her stance. It wasn't clear if it was his presence that was the chief cause or something else as yet unknown. He desperately wanted to know.

"What's happened to you, Kristin? What's with all the secrecy? And why was I given aliases?"

He watched her closely and forced himself to wait for her answer.

"The nature of my work is classified, Nathan."

He couldn't mask the hurt that flashed in his eyes. "Still -"

"Yes." There was sadness in her eyes and something else he never thought he'd ever see – regret.

"I'm sorry we parted the way we did. I was given an enormous opportunity, indefinite funding, and I couldn't pass it up."

He couldn't tell if she had deliberately tried to change the subject or if she was just as confused by her own lingering feelings.

He remained quiet, though it was difficult. He already knew what she was saying but he suspected that she was building up to something he didn't already know.

"You know as well as I do the frustrating monotony of fighting for grant money. And with the space program, no less."

Nathan nodded. He and his astronaut friend Scott Keller had many a conversation about fighting for taxpayer money.

"So when this opportunity came up –"

"Right after I was forced to destroy seaQuest." It had been a depressing time for him. He'd just destroyed his boat, and then had to justify just _why_ to an inquest committee, and then she'd left just as he'd really started to believe he could open his heart to someone other than his dead wife. He'd felt devastated and more than just a little angry. He'd let people close to him again, and only pain and suffering had followed.

He could see the deep, calming breath she took, it mirrored his own. "Yes, it was an inconvenient time."

Nathan searched her face, her eyes, and clearly saw the regret hanging there between them. "Where did you go?"

"Back to the sea."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and she smiled, if ever so briefly before the regret returned. "It's all classified, Nathan."

He turned away and shook his head. "This must be how Carol felt when I couldn't talk about my work." He snorted in annoyance. "I could have lived the rest of my life never having to experience this kind of frustration."

When she gently touched his shoulder, he looked up to meet her sympathetic gaze. She was smiling and damn if it wasn't a beautiful sight. When she reached up and scratched her fingers through his neatly trimmed beard, he fought the urge to close his eyes.

"I like it."

He chuckled then and covered her hand with his. He didn't let go and she didn't pull it away.

"I dunno. I think it makes me look older."

"More roguish, I think," she added with a twinkle in her eye.

She stepped back a moment, their hands still joined, and looked him up and down. "And the new uniform. It suits you."

It didn't seem much different to him; from black to blue, and a few modifications in between. It was a uniform. He was used to wearing one.

He let her pull her toward the table in the corner of the room. "Sit down, and let's talk. Not everything about my life is classified."

* * *

Ford sat at his station contemplating their latest assignment. It was odd to be kept so completely in the dark. He and the captain were usually afforded the highest security clearances. He glanced up when Ortiz called out.

"Sir, torpedo in the water, coming right at us."

Ford launched himself to his feet. "What?"

"Ten miles out and closing fast."

"Go to alert on all stations." Ford turned toward weapons control. "Countermeasures on my mark. Sound collision." He touched a control that gave him ship-wide communication. "Captain to the bridge, I repeat, Captain to the bridge." He pulled himself to his full height and strode to the center of the room. "Countermeasures . . ." He waited another few seconds before giving the order. "Fire."

Another few seconds passed before the torpedo detonated at a safe distance. The ship rocked briefly, but the motion soon subsided.

"Ortiz, WSKR's out at maximum range. I want to know who fired that torpedo." Ford turned toward Communications. "O'Neill, find them, I want a word and then contact UEO headquarters to apprise them of the situation."

"What happened?" Nathan strode onto the bridge, worry creasing his brow.

Ford turned a relieved look on his captain. "Someone fired on us, sir. We're attempting to trace just who and why."

Bridger nodded and turned toward Ortiz. "Any movement on sonar?"

"None, sir."

Bridger's brows drew tightly together. "It came at us with no warning?"

Ford nodded, his perplexed look matching the captain's. "Out of nowhere, sir."

O'Neill held one hand to his headset and turned toward the center of the room. "Sir, I have Secretary General McGath for you."

Bridger and Ford stepped forward expectantly. "On front screen, please."

The screen blinked on and McGath turned from an aide to greet them. He was sitting behind a large desk, shelves of books stacked neatly behind him. "Bridger? What's going on down there?"

"We were just fired on by an unknown hostile."

"The scientists are all safely on board?"

"They arrived safely, yes."

"I thought you were sailing at an untrackable depth?"

Ford stepped in to answer for the captain, since he hadn't been on the bridge. "As you know, sir, the sea floor isn't even. We have to rise to tracking depth to avoid running into undersea reefs and mountains. seaQuest is rather large, sir and cannot navigate the smaller caverns cut through the sea."

"I need those people and their cargo brought safely to NCQ, Captain. Use any and all means at your disposal to make sure that happens."

Ford risked a look at Bridger's face. He could see the annoyance growing until it rose far enough for a carefully worded retort.

"If you anticipated hostile action toward us, we should have been informed."

"You were given what information we thought best, Captain."

"Perhaps you could provide a little more now that this is apparently not going to be a peaceful little taxi-ride across international waters."

"Remain at battle stations, Captain. That's all I can tell you for now."

The vid-screen blinked off and Ford could see by the look on Bridger's face that the captain wasn't going to accept that explanation.

Nathan turned toward weapon's control. "Brody, I want our _guests_ brought to the Ward Room. Commander Ford and I will meet them there."

Brody nodded and hurried out of the room.

Ford leaned close as Bridger beckoned. "I don't like this. We're going to find out what's going on here."

Bridger's eyes rolled around the room, finally settling on Ortiz and O'Neill. "Find out who fired that torpedo. We'll be in the Ward Room."

* * *

McGath turned toward his secretary and snarled, "Get me President Vargas."

Admiral William Noyce strode in the door, worry creasing his face, and glanced over at the dark vid-screen.

"Bridger was upset about this little deception," McGath sighed and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed a hand over his tired face.

Noyce only shrugged. "I told you he wouldn't be happy about playing taxi."

"You're his friend, perhaps you could-"

Noyce put his hands in the air. "SeaQuest was fired on. And you didn't give him any warning that it might happen." Noyce shook his head with a small chuckle. "There's nothing that I could possibly say to calm Nathan down."

McGath let out a small groan but was interrupted by his assistant. The woman was short, dark haired and not in any way intimidated by the rank of the men in the room, though by her professionalism and interaction with her boss, she clearly respected it.

"Connection with President Vargas of the South American Confederation has been refused, sir."

McGath rolled his eyes. "Of course it has."

The Admiral braced his hand on McGath's shoulder, a sympathetic look on his face. "Regret taking the position yet?"

McGath shook his head. "If a war doesn't break out over this, I'll be surprised."

Noyce glanced back at the dark vid-screen. "Well, you've got the calmest UEO captain in the fleet right in the center of it all. If a war does break out, Nathan Bridger won't have started it."

McGath met Noyce's gaze. "If seaQuest doesn't get those scientists and their cargo here on time and alive, the South American Confederation just may start a war over this."

Noyce inhaled slowly and glanced over at the door as a few high-ranking military officials walked in. He nodded to General Reginald Jameson, current head of the military branch of the UEO.

Jameson didn't waste a moment before he began. "SatCom indicates they've dispatched warships into international waters."

McGath swore beneath his breath. "We will not engage."

"And seaQuest?" Jameson asked, uncertain.

"She won't engage either," McGath answered confidently.

"How do you know that?" Jameson asked. He didn't know Nathan Bridger as well as the other two men in the room.

McGath noticed Noyce defer to him for the answer, but he simply shook his head and allowed the Admiral to respond.

"Very little could ever provoke Nathan Bridger into a first-fire situation," Noyce said with a confidence that appeared to put every other man standing in the office at ease; every man but General Jameson.

"And if ordered to do so?"

Noyce chuckled. "He'd question that order, just like he always does."

Jameson clasped his hands behind his back but it was McGath who had the last word. "SeaQuest has been ordered to get those scientists here as quickly as possible. I don't intend to have them engage anyone until they've completed this assignment."

Jameson pursed his lips. "They may have no choice if they are pursued through international waters."

The general's words left an uncomfortable foreboding settle through the room.

TBC

* * *

Liked it? What did you like? Hated it? What didn't you like? Leave a review and let me know!


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes**: Thanks to everyone who left feedback! I'm glad you're still enjoying the tale.

This chapter is a few pages longer so I'm posting it a day earlier than I intended. But that just means you'll have to wait a day longer to get the next chapter. I'm going to be posting on Mondays and Thursdays.

**Chapter 3**

Nathan and Ford were the first to arrive in the Ward Room and took seats at the table's head.

"What do you think is going on?" Ford asked.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm not even going to guess. They're going to tell me." He leveled a solid look at his X-0. "The names they gave us were aliases. You'll understand when they arrive."

"Doctor Westphalen was with them, wasn't she?"

Nathan's eyes widened though he tried to keep the look of surprise off his face. "Lucas?"

Ford shook his head. "He hasn't been able to dig up anything on them. It's been quite frustrating for him."

The two men shared a laugh at the thought and then Ford continued. "Brody told us that you weren't happy to see one of the scientists then proceeded to describe her to a T."

Nathan grinned ruefully. "It was certainly a shock."

Silence fell for a moment and Nathan could tell Ford had a question he wanted to ask. It only took another few seconds for him to voice it.

"Do you know why she didn't come back for this tour, sir?"

It was difficult for the captain to hide his disappointment. "She got a better offer."

When the door opened, the two men looked up and watched as Kristin led the other four scientists into the room, followed by Brody.

Nathan extended his hand over the table. "Sit."

"Why have we been summoned, Captain?" Devon Tye asked, irritation coloring his features. "I thought we were to be isolated from your crew."

"Plans changed when we were fired on by an unknown vessel."

"Ah, so that's what the alarm was for." A man Nathan remembered being introduced to him as Frank Yu, said.

"Yes, and since Secretary McGath isn't forthcoming with any information other than _do not engage_, I want to know exactly what's going on here."

"I'm sorry, but the nature of our work is classified."

Nathan leveled a steely glare on Devon Tye.

"You're going to unclassify it for me right now."

"I can't do that," Tye said stubbornly.

"Devon." Westphalen touched the younger man's arm gently. "We need to tell them."

Tye held his ground. "Absolutely not."

Ford exchanged a concerned look with the captain. "Tell us what?"

Nathan set his jaw and turned his full attention on his former CMO. "Kristin?"

Kristin met his gaze unflinchingly. "This isn't the first attempt on our lives and I don't anticipate it will be the last."

Nathan inhaled sharply but kept the surprise off his face. "I'm sure you're going to tell us why."

"Yes."

"Kristin-" The warning look in Devon's eyes and his silencing hand on her arm made Nathan want to throw the man out of the room.

"Devon, seaQuest is here to help us. They can't be kept completely in the dark."

Nathan stared expectantly at her. "How about not in the dark at all?"

Kristin exchanged a hesitant look with Devon and ignored the rest of the scientists.

Nathan searched Kristin's face for a moment before posing his question. "Why is someone trying to kill you?"

Her heavy sigh sent small tremors down his spine. "Multiple someones, no doubt."

"Kristin –" Tye began and Nathan was amused to see she hadn't lost her domineering touch when she dismissed his warning with a wave of her hand.

"Our research is being conducted within the South American Confederation's 12 mile border. Our very existence violates the UEO charter but is subsidized by a special department within the UEO itself."

Nathan held his tongue. He'd corner her more about her involvement later. Right now, he needed to know what dangers could be posed to his crew – and passengers.

"The facility was specially built for a small team of scientists to monitor the high volume of waste being dumped into the ocean."

Nathan couldn't keep the disbelieving tone out of his voice. "And someone wants to kill you over that?"

Kristin shot him a withering look so he closed his mouth and waited for her to continue. "That waste, due to the climate and gradient water temperature at such a depth, has mutated the creatures and plant life in the area."

"Mutated them?" Ford exchanged a confused look with Nathan.

"If no one knows about the illegal dumping, then the Confederation cannot be found in violation of the UEO charter."

Nathan shook his head. There had to be more to this. "Dumping is done all over the world. The penalties are not severe enough for the damage it causes, but," Nathan leaned his arms on the table and glanced at Kristin, "is that enough to kill you over? Does it justify the UEO subsidizing a group of scientists inside a member Confederation's 12 mile border?"

Kristin looked away and Nathan immediately knew that she was hiding something.

"It is," Tye said matter-of-factly.

"Someone has tried to kill you before?" Ford asked and Nathan was proud that this information sounded fishy to his X-O as well.

"They tried to chopper us out but the aircraft exploded before it reached us," Kristin said. Her voice had taken on a softer edge, yet another clue to Nathan that she was withholding information.

Nathan leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "It's all a bit clearer now why they wanted seaQuest to transport you to the trial." He still felt that he wasn't getting the whole story, but, he let it go – for now.

"What better vessel than the fastest, most heavily armed submarine in the world?" Tye said with a smug grin.

* * *

"So waddaya think those scientists are doin' here, really?" Tony Piccolo asked as he set his tray down on the table. The mess was pretty full but he spotted an empty seat and made a beeline for it regardless of whether he'd been invited or not.

Ortiz and O'Neill looked up at him for a moment before returning their attention to their meals. Lonnie Henderson considered for a moment and then shrugged. Only Lucas decided to answer. "I'd like to know why the captain hasn't told us she's on board."

"Who?" Piccolo and Lonnie asked in unison.

Ortiz and O'Neill continued to ignore the conversation and Lucas scowled at them.

"Don't you two even want to see her?" Lucas asked, annoyed.

"Who?" Piccolo asked again.

"Doctor Westphalen," Ortiz responded before taking a bite full of processed protein.

"Who's that?"

"She was our first CMO," Lucas said with a wistful smile. "She didn't come back for a second tour. She just - disappeared."

"What's so special about 'er?" Piccolo asked. He searched Lucas' eyes carefully and a sly smile spread across his face when he thought he'd figured out the answer. "Got a crush on the lady?"

Lucas glared. "No."

Ortiz and O'Neill stared into their trays as if they'd just seen the image of the Virgin Mary floating in their processed potatoes.

"Why would the captain keep her a secret then?" Lonnie asked with a shake of her head and a confused look.

"And why didn't he tell me?" Lucas added with a dejected sigh.

O'Neill gave Lucas a sympathetic look. "Everything about this assignment is classified. If the captain has been ordered to keep the scientists identities a secret, then we have to respect that."

"Don't have to like it, though," Lucas mumbled.

Piccolo shrugged. "It's just a woman."

Lucas frowned. "We were close. We all were. She was like – a mother I never had."

Piccolo favored Lucas with a steady glare. "What's wrong with our current CMO?"

Lucas shrugged. "Nothing. But she's not Doctor Westphalen." _Even if the captain had wanted her to be, _Lucas continued silently.

Piccolo leaned forward, his eyes suspicious. "What ain't you tellin' us, kid?"

Lucas shook his head and went back to his meal. It wasn't anyone's business what he'd seen in the captain's quarters before the first seaQuest had been destroyed. Maybe he'd been mistaken, like Piccolo had been wrong about the captain's friendship with Doctor Smith.

The more Lucas thought about it, the more he convinced himself that he must have been wrong. The captain hadn't talked about Kristin at all. Maybe Lucas imagined that they'd gotten close. But no, she'd talked to him about their relationship. He _knew_ they'd gotten close. Kristin had admitted it to him.

"Have you heard about the big trial going on at NCQ?" Lonnie asked suddenly and Lucas shot her a grateful smile for changing the subject.

"Yeah, it's all over the InterNex," Lucas confirmed as he began to peel back the rind of an orange.

"I bet that's where we're takin' these scientists," Piccolo said with a smug grin.

"Piccolo, I'd appreciate if you keep that suspicion to yourself," Bridger said with a tone that left no room for argument.

Everyone looked up to see the captain and Commander Ford standing directly behind them. O'Neill and Ortiz paled and turned their attention back to their food. Lonnie looked apologetic and Lucas looked confrontational. Only Piccolo met the captain's gaze straight on.

"There are security issues to consider here and we cannot be spreading rumors that could potentially harm someone on this boat."

Piccolo swallowed thickly and finally looked away. It was common knowledge that he talked first and asked for clarification later. His more recent blunder with mistaking an innocent embrace between the captain and Wendy Smith as something more intimate was certainly the biggest blunder of his tenure on seaQuest.

"We're delivering them to NCQ to report on their research, nothing more." Bridger moved away and Piccolo looked sheepishly up at Ford before muttering, "Yeah, with the most powerful ship in the ocean as an 'escort'."

Ford shot him a nasty look but said nothing. They all watched as the captain gathered enough food on his tray for two people and left the mess.

"Wonder where he's goin'?" Tony asked with a sly grin.

Everyone glared at him and he shrugged. "What?"

* * *

Salvador Vargas, President of the South American Confederation growled low as the testimony given by several political 'refugees' ended. General Marquand stood beside his President, his arms crossed behind his back, his eyes dark as he watched the vid-screen.

Vargas slammed his fist into his desk. "I want those people's families found and executed!"

"I've already got people out looking for them now," Marquand responded swiftly.

Vargas turned slowly toward Marquand. "And their next witness?"

"-will be disposed of before he can take the stand," Marquand answered with a straightening of his shoulders.

"How?"

The corner of Marquand's mouth turned up. "It's not that difficult to get operatives across the border of the United States."

Vargas chuckled. "I suppose not." He clicked off the vid-screen and returned his attention toward Marquand. "And what are you doing about the seaQuest problem?"

"We know their route. The attack has already been planned."

"The sooner the better, Marquand."

"Yes, sir. But like any large animal, it must be caged in the tightest of spaces before its greatest vulnerability is revealed." Marquand unrolled a map and spread it across the President's desk. He pointed to the western side of the Confederation's boarders and slid his finger as far north as the ocean would allow. At a brief break in the land mass he tapped his finger. "Here is we will launch our attack."

A small smile spread across Vargas' face as he studied the plan and then looked up at his General with a nod of approval. "Very good. I will await news of their destruction."

"You understand, sir. If we destroy the seaQuest, we will be committing an act of war?"

"Without that ship to patrol international waters, and _keep the peace_," Vargas snarled the last three words, "we are free to continue our testing unhindered."

"We could just leave the UEO."

Vargas tapped his fingers on the map. "Yes, but they, my dear General, would not leave us."

Marquand remained silent and Vargas stood.

"They've meddled in the affairs of their member Confederations long enough."

* * *

Kristin smiled at Nathan as she set her napkin down on the small table. The guest cabins were much smaller than the one she'd had as chief medical and science officer, but she had never noticed until now, just how cramped they really were. She'd never spent so much time in hers.

On the floor sat the empty tray Nathan had carried from the mess. On inelegant plates in front of them rested the remainder of their dinner.

"It's been a long time since we had a quiet meal," she said with a half smile and she could see the memories of another more intimate moment flash through his dark eyes.

He rested his hands on either side of his empty plate. "This can hardly be compared."

Her head tilted slightly in agreement. "True."

After a few moments Kristin opened her mouth to fill the silence. She looked around the small, empty cabin. "I like what you've done with the place."

Nathan grinned and she could see that he understood the greater meaning behind her words. "It took almost two years to get her back in the water."

"Kept you busy, I'm sure." The tension that had so easily been broken when he arrived with dinner had returned with a vengeance.

She had to look away when his eyes came to rest on her face. She'd never understand how he could seem so strong-willed one moment and incredibly vulnerable the next. And now she was finding it difficult to meet his intense gaze.

"Not too busy to spend time with you."

Kristin stood and turned away quickly. She knew herself well enough to know that she wouldn't be able to hide the longing in her eyes. It was something she didn't want him to see. That look would have revealed far too much. That perhaps she'd made the wrong decision in cutting off communication with him so suddenly.

It was only a moment before she felt him step behind her. His large, gentle hands dropped gently onto her shoulders and she found it difficult to resist as he slowly turned her around.

"I know I'm severely out of practice here but – what aren't you telling me?" His eyes had a depth to them that made her feel like he could see into her very soul.

"I love my work, Nathan."

He shook his head and she could see confusion flicker in his eyes. "That was never in question."

She could easily read the look on his face that screamed '_you left me for it.'_

She knew exactly where he was going with this discussion. They'd had it before and she'd cut him off then. She didn't want to be so harsh now. Their lives had changed considerably since they'd parted. "And you love yours."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You're not naive enough to use that as an excuse for why we couldn't have tried -"

She turned out of his arms. "It couldn't have worked, Nathan."

The silence between them stretched for so long she thought he might have left. But when she turned around to look for him, he was sitting in the chair, picking absently at what remained of his food.

When he looked up at her, she felt a sharp pang of regret at the hurt she could see in his eyes.

He lifted his fork and stared at it as if it held the answers to heaven's secrets. "There's more to this than you told us earlier. Care to elaborate?"

Kristin bristled. Leave it to Nathan Bridger to upset her when a moment ago she had been filled with intense regret at how their relationship ended. If it was any other man, she would assume the perceptiveness came with the job. But in this case, it came from knowing her so very well. "The work is classified, Nathan."

Nathan glanced at the vid-screen. He leaned over, tapped a few keys on the keypad and swiveled the camera mechanism away from them.

He shrugged and a boyish smile crept across his face. "Who's to know?"

She shook her head and grinned, despite herself. "Your willingness to ignore such strict military protocol is an attractive trait, _captain_."

His eyes swept down her body and back up again but said nothing.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him with the barest hint of a smirk. "You know I'll deny everything."

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Of course you will."

Kristin returned to her seat and smiled affectionately. He was as much a scientist as he was a military man, and she knew that he would enjoy hearing about her work.

She leaned forward and, in a conspiratorial tone, began to declassify some of her research. "Well, as you know, the waste being dumped into the waters has contaminated them so terribly that the sea life has begun to mutate."

"So you said." He listened with rapt attention, so much so that she slapped at his closest arm to wipe the serious look off his face.

She raised an accusatory eyebrow. "Why do I feel like you're mocking me?"

He chuckled innocently. "I haven't said a word."

A skeptical eyebrow rose even further.

He shrugged. "Well, more than three words, anyway."

She pursed her lips.

"I'm listening," he finally said with an exasperated look on his face.

"Well, we already know that the sea is dark at great depths and the life has adapted so that they can see. Their skin is made of a colorful phosphorescence that gives off a natural light."

"Right."

She knew she wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know.

"But, the intriguing thing is that when these mutated biologics are exposed to natural light – or as close to it as we can achieve in our lab so far beneath the sea, they become almost transparent. Not only transparent, but they adapt to the environment around them."

She could see the quick comprehension, followed by disbelief, in his eyes. "Invisible?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a smile.

"That would have an amazing military strategic value."

She cocked her head and gave him a long, disapproving sidelong glance. "Ah, yes, the _military_ value. This discovery couldn't possibly be important for anything else." She'd never admit it was the first thing that came to her mind when they'd made the discovery.

He sighed. "Kristin, you know as well as I do it's the way of things. The UEO is a military organization-"

"- with a very extensively well-funded civilian scientific branch." With an air of superiority, she added, "who is credited with this little discovery."

Nathan rolled his eyes, this time clearly mocking her. "I'm sure they'll throw you a ticker tape parade."

Kristin scowled and kicked him under the table to alleviate some of the growing tension.

He chuckled and shook his head and she could see the fight leave him as he tried to wrap his head around what she'd told him.

"We've been studying deep sea creatures for a long time and this has never – I mean, we've never found anything like what you're describing."

"The waste being dumped into the waters off the coast is the only explanation. Biologics found further up the coast don't exhibit this unique quality."

He exhaled slowly and folded his hands together on top of the little table. "This is an incredible discovery, Kristin."

"There's more."

She grinned when his eyes widened.

"Some of the creatures we found, the small ones, are like dolphins, in that they use a kind of internal sonar to navigate the water. But in some of these small creatures, we've found that when they're agitated, or upset, they give off a kind of soundwave that renders anyone within range of it paralyzed for a time. If this soundwave was produced by a large enough creature, the results could be – devastatingly effective."

She would have laughed at the look on Nathan's face if she didn't realize how dangerous this knowledge could be in an enemy Confederation's hands. Hell, in even the UEO's hands if they chose to create a weapon from this research.

Nathan shook his head and stood to pace around the room. She stood with him, but didn't move closer. His eyes, if possible, were even wider with the additional news. "This is unbelievable. The kinds of abilities you're talking about are stuff out of science fiction."

Kristin dropped her chin and shot him an incredulous look. "And the million year old space ship seaQuest found at the bottom of the ocean two years ago, isn't?"

Nathan laughed, then and nodded. "Touche, doctor."

She allowed herself a small smile, encouraged by his enthusiasm and passion for her research. She'd forgotten how much of a common camaraderie they'd developed during their first tour aboard seaQuest.

The previous tension in the room had been replaced by a crackling energy as he sat enraptured by her revelations.

"Kristin?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seemed a million miles away." His concern was endearing.

Kristin smiled sheepishly. "Just remembering."

"What?"

Kristin turned away. Her mind screamed the answer. _'What might have been,' b_ut she remained silent.

"Anything I can do?"

She closed her eyes when she felt his hands on her shoulders. He didn't turn her around, and it was just as well that she couldn't see his face.

"I'm not sure if that would be wise," she whispered.

"Why?"

She chuckled lightly. The man could be so clueless. Or – perhaps, he knew exactly what he was doing.

"We have a history, Nathan."

She could feel the silent laughter reverberate down his arms and to her shoulders.

"A history of – what, exactly?"

He knew the answer as well as she did but she'd play his little game regardless of how dangerous it may be.

"Interest." Her arms tingled when he squeezed them ever so gently.

His breath was warm against her ear when he leaned down to ask, "In?"

Kristin turned around and met his eyes. They burned with something that was not quite desire. "I wouldn't want to be accused of interfering with the captain's duties."

She smiled when he rolled his eyes and slid his hands from her shoulders to her arms.

"And just how are you interfering, exactly?"

A shiver raced down her spine when his gaze swept down her face and back up again. She'd missed how he looked at her; seemingly so boyish at one moment, heatedly inviting the next.

She took a step closer, into his space, and searched his eyes. When she saw no disapproval there, she reached up and placed her hand lightly on his chest.

She leaned closer, as if he was a magnet pulling her in. "I'm in a dangerous position, Nathan. People have been trying to kill us."

She could hear the hitch in his voice, feel his heart beat rapidly beneath her hand. "Then let me – seaQuest – protect you."

She hesitated for a moment and she knew that it would be in their best interest to step out of his arms now and walk away. But it was difficult. The familiarity and the security she felt just being in the same room with him overrode her good sense.

"Despite all the warning bells going off in my head," she began, the excuse causing her to smile despite the circumstances of their current position. "I – want to kiss you, Nathan."

The amused smile that passed across his lips only heightened her desire to do just that, but it was his answer that finally caused her to take another small step.

"I'd like that very much, Kristin."

He dipped his head and she closed that final small distance and gently touched her lips to his. When his arms came down around her, she sighed against his mouth and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

She trembled as the scruffyness of his beard scraped across her smooth skin. It was a complete contrast to his smooth, gentle kiss. When a loud chime echoed through the cabin calling the captain to the bridge, they parted quickly, like two teenagers caught necking in the back of their parent's car.

Her cheeks were hot, and she knew they were flushed, but she didn't care. He was looking at her with a love and adoration she'd only seen reflected in his eyes when he spoke of his dead wife. It was more comforting than she wanted to admit and she hadn't had much comfort in her life in the last two years.

Commander Ford's voice echoed through the ship. "Captain to the bridge. Captain to the bridge."

Kristin could feel as well as hear the whispered curse against her lips and she smiled hesitantly when he turned out of her arms and swiped the PAL communication device off the table.

"I'm on my way, Commander."

He moved to the door a regretful sigh and she trembled when his eyes slid appraisingly down her body and back up again. "We never seem to get a break do we?"

Kristin shook her head and returned his sad smile as he hurried out.

When he was gone, she cleared the dishes from the table and sank onto the bed.

"What are you _doing_, Kristin," she chastised herself. "This isn't going to work. You can't have him back after you pushed him so cruelly from your life."

It hadn't been her intention. She didn't want to involve him in the danger that her life had become. So she'd chosen to release him from it completely. She didn't realize until this moment, how wrong she may have been to do so.

She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, but sleep just wouldn't come.

TBC

* * *

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	5. Chapter 4

Notes: Thanks for the continued comments. They are most appreciated.

While I've finished this story (all 14 chapters and epilogue), my beta reader is only up to chapter 9, so there may be a delay in the coming weeks . . .

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Nathan hurried down the corridor and impatiently paced in front of the Mag-Lev tube that would transport him to the bridge. Just as it arrived, Dr. Smith approached him from behind. She was shorter than most of the crew, and he'd have run her over if he hadn't been paying attention.

"Captain, a word, please?"

Nathan shot her an irritated look. "I'm needed on the bridge, Wendy, can it wait?"

"Not really."

He could detect something in her eyes, something she desperately wanted to speak with him about, but he didn't have her gift for mind-reading and simply stepped aside and let her enter the transport tube first. He followed, a bit more reluctantly, and sat down for the short ride to the bridge.

"What is it?"

"I'm concerned about the crew."

An eyebrow rose at the unspoken accusation. "Aren't we all?"

"Well, yes, but all of this secretive business with those scientists has the crew on edge." She wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know.

Nathan tone took on a harder edge. "The information is classified."

"As chief medical officer, am I not cleared?"

Nathan groaned. Truthfully, he figured he'd have had this conversation with his CMO before now. There just hadn't been time. "_I'm_ not even cleared, Wendy."

There was a serious look in her eyes that made him momentarily wonder if she knew about what had just happened in Kristin's cabin. She _was_ telepathic, after all.

"But you know what's going on," she said slowly. Her eyes searched his and he found it difficult not to look away.

Nathan stood quickly when he realized what she was trying to do. He'd felt the gentle probing before. "Stay out of my head, doctor."

"I'm not _in_ your head, Captain," she retorted quickly, eyes narrowed. "But you've got a pretty solid wall up around your thoughts and that's a clear indicator that you're hiding something."

He didn't like her accusatory tone but he couldn't come right out and tell her that it wasn't the classified information regarding the scientists that he was hiding. "I've apparently got an emergency on the bridge, Doctor, and I need to attend to it. We'll need to continue this conversation at another time."

He moved toward the doors and waited impatiently to make his escape as soon as they opened. The Mag-Lev never took this long.

"I want to meet them." Her tone indicated that it was not a request and he fought down the rising ire that she would even dare. Only one woman could get away with addressing him in such a manner, and Wendy Smith was not that woman.

She continued, when he said nothing. "As chief medical officer, I have the right, Captain."

"Only if there is a risk of them bringing harmful bacteria on board," Nathan said, his eyes wavering not a bit when they settled on her. "I've got assurances that their cargo is not capable of contaminating anything on this boat."

Wendy crossed her arms over her chest and refused to back down. It was a trait he admired in a woman, the very same trait Kristin Westphalen possessed – but to a much more frightening degree. "I could insist on testing all of those crates they brought with them. I'm sure I could find something harmful there."

Nathan's eyes flashed. Apparently Brody's hand-picked security detail had not kept their mouths shut. Or perhaps they had and Wendy had just plucked what little information she could out of their minds.

Nathan sighed. She was just as pushy as Kristin when she wanted something. "I'll need to get clearance from NCQ, Wendy. I'm not keeping you or anyone else from the scientists on purpose. I'm following orders."

As if on cue, the Mag-Lev doors opened. Wendy smiled as she preceded him out of the transport. "I'll come with you to get that clearance right now."

* * *

When Nathan entered the bridge, he immediately noticed the agitated face of Secretary General McGath on the forward vid-screen.

Nathan forced a fake cheerful smile onto his face. "What can we do for you, Mr. Secretary?"

"The South American Confederation is looking for any reason to start a war, Nathan. You need to not give them one."

Nathan's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "I would have thought that _them_ firing on _us_ would be considered an act of war."

McGath shook his head. "We have no proof it was them. It was an unmarked sub that -"

"- that you told me not to engage in favor of staying on course," Nathan interrupted. "We could have had our proof that they attacked without provocation."

McGath ignored him. "I want you to dive as deep as seaQuest's tolerance allows. I don't want anyone to follow you."

Nathan raised a curious eyebrow. "You realize that unless satellites and tracking systems are stacked in a triangulated array, we will have no communication with you or any support vessels in the area."

"I've already arranged to align GPS satellite and NORAD tracking systems so we can communicate."

"I see." Nathan glanced over at helm control. "What's our depth?"

"Ten thousand feet and steady, sir," Helmswoman Lonnie Henderson answered immediately.

"Take the long way around if you have to, but get those scientists and their cargo here as soon as possible," McGath said sharply. The man had never been so insistent before and Nathan didn't need to look around his bridge to see that it worried the crew.

"We're on course to reach the canal in a few hours, Mr. Secretary," Ford said from his position behind the captain.

"All right, keep an eye out for trouble."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. McGath wasn't telling him anything that his crew hadn't already been ordered to do.

"We'll have to rise to tracking depth to sail through the canal," Ford advised with an affirmative nod from the captain.

"Multi-million dollar seaQuest taxi-service at your service, sir." The sarcastic tone in Bridger's voice was not lost on McGath.

"I know you're not happy about this, Nathan, but just think of it this way, you're helping a greater cause."

The screen winked off and Nathan rolled his eyes. "That's what they all say."

Nathan noticed Wendy standing next to him, a look of displeasure on her face. She hadn't had a chance to ask McGath about granting access to the scientists.

Well, at least he wasn't the only one having a bad day.

* * *

Devon Tye paced the small cabin, his very stance betraying his agitation with the situation.

"Kristin, you can't tell anyone about this. It's just not safe."

"_We're_ not safe, Devon." Kristin shoved her hands onto her hips and glared at the man. It was an intimidating look to be sure, but he didn't back down. "I gave Nathan just enough information to understand the severity of the situation and the lengths the South American Confederation may go to make sure we don't reach New Cape Quest."

"Is that the only reason you told him?" The accusation was plain and Kristin huffed indignantly in his direction before marching up and into his personal space.

"Kindly explain yourself."

"I know you two have a - history." His voice dropped and she could sense that he didn't want to continue this fight. He wasn't a coward, but she could tell he knew this was a fight he wouldn't win.

"Nathan and I are friends and colleagues, nothing more." She hoped he couldn't see right through the lie. For a moment, as his eyes searched hers, she thought he'd noticed, but instead he just sighed heavily.

"The information is classified for a reason, Kristin."

"Nathan has the highest clearance-"

"Not for this and you know it."

Kristin held her ground. She didn't quite understand why Devon was continuing to harp on the point; other than to flex his masculine muscle and intimidate her. Well, he should know her well enough by now that wouldn't work. It never worked with Nathan Bridger or Secretary General Noyce, and there was no way in hell it would work with Devon Tye.

"What's done is done, Devon. Nathan will get us there in one piece. But now he has a better understanding of just why they're so determined to kill us before we get to that trial."

Lights began to flash overhead and Kristin pushed Devon into the closest chair. "That's an alert. You need to sit."

"Oh really?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice like venom.

Kristin scowled and squared her shoulders. "There would have to be an armada waiting for us to even have the chance of destroying this boat."

"After the last two destructive attempts at trying to kill us, you'll have to excuse me if I don't have the faith in this Captain that you seem to," Tye muttered as he gripped the table in front of him so tight his knuckles turned white.

* * *

"Sir?" Ortiz turned toward the captain, eyes narrowed. "There's a sub in the water barely inside WSKR range and its tubes are flooded."

Bridger turned toward Lonnie Henderson at helm control. "Go to alert on all stations. Where are we? Can we dive out of range?"

"No, sir," came Lonnie's reply. Her voice trembled slightly but Nathan ignored it. "We're already hugging the bottom as per Secretary General McGath's orders. We're just not able to go deeper."

"Then prepare countermeasures in case they fire on us and get me an ID on that sub."

"Already working on it, sir," O'Neill said as his hands flew across his keyboard.

Ortiz looked up from his console. "It's carefully straying in and out of WSKR range. It doesn't want to be tracked."

"Telemetry coming in now, sir. The sub _is_ from the South American Confederation."

"Is it possible that it's been running silent since we picked up the scientists?" the captain asked with a questioning look directed toward Ortiz.

Ortiz shook his head. "We'd have seen it, sir."

"It couldn't follow us anyway. We've been sailing for hours at our maximum depth. No other sub that we know of can dive so deep."

"Well, they're tracking us somehow." Bridger moved to stand behind O'Neill's chair. "Can you get me a link with that sub?"

O'Neill shook his head. "No response."

"Keep trying."

Nathan stood behind Ortiz. "Have they made any hostile action?"

"None."

Nathan turned to Lucas when the teen stopped beside him. Even though Lucas's question was whispered, everyone on the bridge leaned a little closer in hopes of hearing the captain's answer.

"Why didn't you tell me that the doc was on board?"

Nathan sighed heavily. "Lucas, we've got a potentially hostile sub in the water. We'll talk about this later."

"Got him, sir," O'Neil cried out loudly enough that his voice echoed around the bridge.

"Put him on forward screen."

Nathan moved toward the center of the room and waited with his hands on his hips until the image of a dark skinned man, wide-eyed and red-faced, filled the screen.

"Would you mind telling me why you are tailing my boat with your tubes flooded?" Nathan said, his gaze unwavering as he stared down his opponent.

"We demand you turn over the political prisoners you have taken from our Confederation."

Nathan laughed for a moment before returning his attention to the dark-skinned man on the screen in front of him. "You know just as well as I do that I'm not carrying any political prisoners."

"You are carrying cargo illegally stolen from our waters. We demand to have it returned."

"I'm escorting a UEO research team home. I suggest you don't interfere." Nathan nodded curtly to O'Neill and the screen blinked off.

"That sub can't reach our depth," Ortiz offered with a furrowed brow.

Bridger could feel Ford at his side but pointed to Brody. "I want a security detail placed outside each of those scientist's cabins." He turned to O'Neill. "I want to know how they're tracking us." He turned to Ford. "Call me if I'm needed. I've got a few questions and only those scientists can answer them."

Lucas stepped into view and Nathan exhaled sharply. "Lucas, I can't discuss this right now."

"Can I come?"

"No." Nathan walked off the bridge without looking back.

* * *

When Bridger and Brody reached Kristin Westphalen's cabin, Nathan turned to his chief of security.

"No one in or out."

Brody nodded and motioned for his security to take up position on either side of the hatch. "Yes, sir."

Nathan pushed open the door and walked through it without so much as a knock. He took a moment to close the hatch before turning around to face the two occupants of the room.

Devon Tye and Kristin stood at his entrance but it was Kristin who took a step forward, her eyes apologetic.

"We haven't been _entirely_ truthful with you, Nathan."

An incredulous look passed across the angry captain's face. "Ya think?"

Kristin approached him and he found it increasingly difficult to remain mad at her. The memory of their kiss still lingered on his lips.

"I've made the decision to de-classify _all_ of our research amidst. . ." she glanced at a clearly unhappy Devon Tye, "strong protest."

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."

"The South American Confederation has had their top scientists working on ways to mutate human genes similar to what has been happening to the biologics due to the waste contamination."

"Experimenting on willing or unwilling people?" If the subjects were willing participants, the UEO had no grounds to stand on. They, themselves had done the same thing. Tony Piccolo and his gills were case in point.

"They've been taking their subjects off the streets. They're poor, destitute, and no one misses them when they disappear."

"And you have proof of this?"

Kristin exchanged a look with Devon, who was scowling deeply in her direction. "We do."

Kristin took out a small disk and inserted it into a reader on the desk. After a moment, images of mutated humanoid figures flashed up on the main vid-screen. Many of them had features resembling those of undersea biologics.

"My god. That's –" Nathan exchanged a look with Kristin. "What they're doing looks like some of Abalon's early work."

Abalon, aka Doctor Franklin Wise had been a pioneer in undersea experimentation. He'd labored long and hard and killed many of his subjects in his quest to manufacture a way for humans to breathe under the sea. And he'd succeeded. But only those on seaQuest and whoever read the captain's reports at the UEO knew the man was even still alive.

"We wondered about that so the UEO sent a team in to extract him."

Nathan raised an eyebrow.

Kristin met his eyes and he could see in them that he wasn't going to like what she was going to say next. "The facility had been completely destroyed."

* * *

President Vargas watched from a crude observation deck above an equally crude looking lab below. The experiments taking place inside were both hideous and enrapturing and the man couldn't take his eyes off the scene below.

General Marquand stood beside him as did one of the scientists in charge of the project. Mr. Kaman had been an asset to their biological and chemical research team and had given them a great deal of information in how to successfully modify human physiology for an underwater habitat.

The young scientist had wanted to take the experimentation further and Vargas had given him free reign to do so. It was too bad that most of the subjects died on the table. But what the young scientist lacked in knowledge, he gained in enthusiasm.

The man on the table struggled against the restraints. His skin was raw and blotchy and his mouth was open in a soundless scream. His eyes bulged like one who couldn't take in enough air and before too long he stopped struggling all together.

"Well?" Vargas turned impatiently toward his chief scientist.

"His body rejected the serum and the added growth over-stimulated the neural pathways." Dr. Kaman stared at the readouts flashing across the terminal in front of him. His dark eyes and pale skin were a clear indication the man didn't get much sun.

"So we've achieved yet another failure." Vargas wasn't all together displeased, but he wasn't about to let this young man see that.

"No," Kaman flipped through a leather bound book filled with hand written notes. "It's all here. My father left detailed descriptions. I just need to find the right combination." The young man looked up and smiled hesitantly. "I'm not only trying to create a being that can swim at great depths without needing to come up for air. The mutations are not easy to manipulate or control."

Vargas leaned menacingly closer. "That's why you're still alive, Mr. Kaman."

His eyes shifted to the man lying below in the lab. Patches of skin in an eerie starburst pattern glowed faintly but as the life ebbed out of him, so did the phosphorescence glowing within his skin.

"It will work next time."

Vargas watched the tall dark-haired man hurry out of the observation deck and back down into the lab.

General Marquand appeared beside him and whispered, "You know if this works we'll have the rarest, most powerful weapon this world has ever seen."

A knowing smile spread across the president's face when he turned to his general. "When this is over, we'll have two."

TBC

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	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Nathan Bridger paced around Kristin's cabin, his agitation and disgust with this entire situation evident.

"All right," he said as he he stopped and turned toward Kristin and Devon. "Let me get this straight. For the last two years you have been living in a research facility 20,000 feet beneath the surface of the ocean _inside_ a hostile Confederation's twelve mile border?"

"Yes."

"And as part of your research, you've been studying the effect the dumping of waste into this part of the ocean has had on the sea life in the area?"

"Yes."

"But, in addition, you've discovered that some of this sea life has been mutated in a way that could possibly provide a military advantage?"

Kristin bristled at the mention of the military but Nathan ignored it.

"Yes."

"And – now, the South American Confederation has been experimenting on its own people. Exposing them to this waste that has been dumped into the water, to see if they will mutate like the sea life?"

"Yes."

Bridger shook his head. "I'm appalled, doctors – on so many levels."

Devon Tye stood quickly ready to defend his work but Nathan raised a hand.

"The UEO had no right to build such a facility inside another Confederations borders."

Kristin opened her mouth to speak but Nathan leveled a steely glare in her direction and she wisely remained silent. He knew he'd have to deal with her ire at some point, he just couldn't allow it to be right this moment.

"They preach peace, send _me_ and my boat out to enforce it, and then turn around and do something like this to spy on another Confederation. I'm angry beyond words."

"Nathan –"

He raised his hand. "Kristin, let me finish." He continued to pace around the room. "I'm thrilled that your research has discovered something potentially useful. I'm equally appalled to learn that the South American Confederation is experimenting on its own people."

"Captain Bridger –"

Nathan looked up and Tye fell silent. "You'll know when I'm finished."

He began to pace again. "I understand why these people want you so badly." He stopped and looked them in the eyes. "You realize that the UEO will be under intense scrutiny for its actions here when news of your – work, gets out?"

Kristin met his unwavering gaze. "It's a risk they're willing to take."

"That's what I thought." Nathan stepped aside. "Thank you Doctor Tye. Brody is outside and will escort you back to your cabin."

Devon moved toward the door and glanced back at Kristin. Nathan watched a myriad of expressions flit across her face and when Devon called to her, she shook her head.

"We'll speak later."

When they were alone, Nathan shook his head and turned away.

"The only other submersible capable of picking us up was destroyed not too long ago. Then the air transport they had sent for us was destroyed as well. As you know, transmissions at the depth of our facility can only be achieved by aligning very powerful satellites in a particular array." Kristin's voice was soft, and the tone gentle.

"Which you couldn't do for fear of being discovered," Nathan finished for her. Her disappearance from his life was becoming all too clear.

"We could only communicate via short range messages sent from an unmanned vessel into International waters."

Nathan rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm going to request a nice, long leave after this is over."

When he looked over at Kristin, there was a sympathetic look on her face.

* * *

A few hours later, Nathan sat in his chair, trying vainly to concentrate on the updates his crew had been giving him. The South America Confederation had been a thorn in the UEO's side for months and he wasn't sure why their membership hadn't been revoked after the last incident.

"We're approaching the canal, sir," Lonnie Henderson announced as her eyes scanned her terminal. "We're going to have to rise to tracking depth to clear it."

Bridger leaned back in his chair. "Bring us up, Miss Henderson."

"Captain." Ortiz looked over from his console. "There are three subs bearing down on us."

"Open a channel with their lead vessel, Mr. O'Neill."

"Trying, sir. They're ignoring us." He pushed his glasses tighter to his face and glared at his console.

Bridger's back straightened and he squinted at the screen. "Where are they from? All information on forward screen, please."

Ortiz whirled around. "Sir, they've flooded all tubes and are preparing to fire!"

Nathan launched himself to his feet. "Go to alert on all stations. Prepare countermeasures and plot a targeting solution on hostile vessels."

"Sir, we can't maneuver at this depth," Ford looked up from his console, his eyes betraying his concern. "There are ships moving through the canal and others waiting, we can't barge through it to get to open water."

Bridger's hands clenched at his sides. "Then we have no choice but to turn and fight."

"Sir, they've fired."

He walked quickly to Ford and leaned a hand on the back of the Commander's chair. "Move us away from the canal, toward their lead vessel. Fire countermeasures."

"They've fired surface to air." The disbelief was evident in Ford's voice.

"What?"

"They're not aiming at us – at least not yet. They're aiming at the canal. They want to block us on this side," Ford grumbled.

"Shoot those missiles out of the sky!" Bridger ordered. "And fire on those subs. Charge torpedoes to fifty percent. Target weapons systems only. I want to disable not destroy them. Fire!"

"Sir, more missiles away, aimed at us now."

"Sound collision and fire intercepts," Nathan roared over the whirring of the incoming missiles.

"Firing now, sir," Ford said, his eyes and hands sweeping across his console.

Nathan hurried back to his seat and just reached it when seaQuest shook violently as the countermeasures blocked the incoming torpedoes.

"Put the canal on forward screen, please, Mr. Ortiz," Bridger said as the floor beneath him continued to shake with the concussion waves.

"Sir, two got through our intercepts," Ortiz called out.

They all looked up at the forward vid-screen as two missiles broke through the countermeasures and slammed into the canal. The walls around the waterway crumbled and collapsed, leaving seaQuest trapped and vulnerable in the shallow waters.

"Damn," Bridger swore as they watched the mountain walls crumble into the canal.

Nathan turned toward Commander Ford. "Damage to seaQuest?"

"Minimal, sir," Ford responded. His eyes scanned his console before adding, "Hostile targets disabled, sir."

"Get a launch crew over there. If they're not going to talk to me, I'll get information out of them one way or the other."

"On it, sir," Brody said as he hurried off the bridge.

Nathan strode toward helm control. "Plot alternate course to NCQ." With a look toward communications, he said, "O'Neill, find out if there were any other injuries. We'll send med teams upworld should they be needed."

O'Neill swiveled in his seat, a hand to his earpiece. "Sir, Secretary General McGath for you."

Nathan sighed heavily. "On forward screen."

"Captain –"

"Your scientists are fine," Nathan interrupted. He made no attempt to disguise the annoyance in his voice.

"Reports have come in that the canal is impenetrable. We need those scientists and their cargo here as soon as possible."

"I've got a security detail boarding one of the downed subs now and med teams on their way to assist with any injured. We'll be under way in –"

"I want them to return to seaQuest at once. We've got crews on the way that will take care of the cleanup and interrogations. I need those scientists delivered to NCQ, ASAP."

The screen went dark and Nathan swore beneath his breath. "Get our crews back here and plot a course around Cape Horn. We'll take the long way home."

* * *

Several hours later, Nathan found himself wandering the deserted hallways. Everyone was busy, and it was just as well, he wasn't in the mood for conversation. There was something else at work here but he just couldn't place his finger on it.

Before too long, he found himself standing outside of med bay staring at the familiar walls.

"Captain?"

Nathan whirled to find Wendy Smith standing at his shoulder.

He nodded politely. "Wendy."

"Is there something I can do for you?" Her eyes searched his but he looked away before she could read them.

"No. Should there be?"

Wendy chuckled. "You don't often come down here unless there's something wrong."

"Oh, well, no, I suppose not." He shrugged. She was right. He didn't spend as much time in med bay or the science areas as he used to. "I was just wandering."

"Is something troubling you?" Wendy smiled kindly. Her eyes were deep, piercing, and it gave him the feeling that she could see right into his soul. And she could - in a way. She was telepathic. "Well, other than the obvious," she added with a tight grin.

Nathan smiled somberly. "I used to come down here a lot when. . ." He stopped. It would do no good to reminisce about the past. Not that it would matter. She could probably read his thoughts anyway.

". . .there was someone else down here you wanted to see, perhaps?"

". . . when I wanted to think." Nathan's eyes flashed when she cocked her head and shot him a knowing smile. "If you're going to read me, at least do it in a way that's not so blatant."

"Your thoughts are screaming at me, Nathan. There's no way I could possibly tune them out."

Nathan exhaled deeply and lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm sorry."

He glanced down sharply when he felt her hand touch his forearm. "For what?"

He shook his head. "So many things."

"How about we start with the one currently on your mind?"

Nathan scowled at her. "Have I told you what a pain it is having a telepath on board?"

Wendy chuckled. "Not lately."

Nathan watched her for a moment and was infinitely glad that the infatuation he'd had for this woman a few months ago had been replaced, not necessarily by a close relationship, but a friendship nonetheless.

When the tour had first started, she'd awakened in him feelings that he'd tried for a long time to bury. First when his wife Carol had died, and then when Kristin Westphalen had disappeared from his life. The infatuation he'd felt for Wendy had been a near debilitating surprise. He'd been confused for a long time until he finally figured out that she'd just awakened a part of him that craved human touch and companionship.

The attraction and infatuation had been short-lived, but it had been strong enough to force him to realize that he shouldn't wait for something that would never be. His wife would never return from the dead, and Kristin, up until a few days ago, hadn't been a fixture of any sort in his life.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Wendy's question brought Nathan out of his reverie and he forced a smile. "I'm not sure its something I really should be discussing with you."

She stepped back and patted the closest medical bed. "Well, if it has to do with the Captain's health, I think perhaps you should."

Nathan smiled ruefully. "When it begins to affect my health, I'll come see you. Until then," he waved a dismissive hand, "I'll just continue with my wandering."

"Nathan?"

He stopped and turned around when he felt her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry about earlier. This is my home too. We're a family. I don't want anything to damage that."

"And you think these scientists could harm this boat and its crew?"

A small smile spread across his face when she canted her head to one side and stared at him.

"Yes, yes, other than the trouble we've run into since they arrived."

"Isn't that enough?"

"We have a duty to obey –"

She shot him a disbelieving look and frown. "Captain, I can read minds, remember?"

He closed his mouth and re-thought his reasoning for defending the scientists; after all, just a few days ago he'd been annoyed at his boat being used as a taxi-service. Nathan shrugged and met her eyes. "I'm not sure what you want me to say."

"I don't _want_ you to say anything. I'll just be here if you _need_ to."

"I'll remember that." Nathan said with a smile before walking out of medbay. "Thank you, doctor."

* * *

Just as Nathan reached his cabin, he looked up to see Lucas standing at his side, a look of consternation on his face.

"Can we talk?"

Nathan nodded and swung open the door. He knew this conversation would be coming eventually. He supposed he deserved a tongue lashing from the teen over keeping Kristin's arrival on seaQuest a secret. She was the boy's friend too, and probably the only other person on the boat who knew there had been some kind of burgeoning relationship between them.

Nathan was able to just shut the door before Lucas began.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Their arrival was classified, Lucas. I didn't even know myself until she stepped out of the launch."

"But you weren't happy to see her."

Nathan shook his head. "It's – complicated, Lucas."

"Even after - "

Nathan raised a finger. "Whatever anger you want to direct toward me about my silence in this particular matter, please leave my personal life out of the discussion."

His directness took the wind right out of Lucas' sails and Nathan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to discuss his relationship with Kristin with the teen.

Lucas took to pacing back and forth. "Are people really trying to kill them?"

"It would appear so."

"We've been watching EarthNet news about the trial at NCQ."

"Why do you think this has anything to do with . . ."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "It's a small boat, captain. Rumors-"

"Yes, I'm quite aware of how quickly rumors spread around this small boat," Nathan said pointedly.

Lucas wisely ignored the comment.

"Can I see her?"

"The scientists aren't to have any contact with the crew."

Lucas pursed his lips and turned away and Nathan could feel the tension in the room rise quiclkly.

"But I - may be able to arrange something."

Nathan smiled when Lucas' hopeful eyes met his. "I'm sure she's missed you as much as you've missed her."

"I'm sure she missed you, too."

Nathan cocked his head and raised a warning finger. "We're not discussing that, remember."

Lucas shot him a mischievous grin. "You made that decision, not me."

Nathan reached up and ruffled the teen's hair and then shot his thumb over his shoulder toward the door. "Get out of here. I'll give security a call and let them know you're allowed in to see Kristin."

"Thanks, Captain."

Nathan smiled as the teen walked to the door and then watched curiously when he stopped, hesitated and then turned around. "You sure you don't want to come with me?"

Nathan laughed at the conspiratorial look in Lucas' eyes. "No. Now get out of here."

Lucas shut the door quickly but his laughter drew a smile and a deep chuckle from Nathan anyway.

* * *

As soon as Nathan entered the bridge, Ford turned to him.

"Good timing, I was just about to call you."

"Oh?"

"Secretary McGath on the line."

Nathan groaned. "Oh, what now?" He glanced over at O'Neill, who was waiting for an order. "On forward screen, if you please, Mr. O'Neill."

After a few quick taps on the keyboard, McGath's face popped on.

"To what do we owe this extreme pleasure, Mr. Secretary?" Nathan didn't even bother to mask the sarcasm in his voice. "It's been so long?" He turned to Ford and glanced down at his watch. "What would you say, an hour at least?"

"Could you at least take this situation a _little_ seriously, Captain?" The annoyance on McGath's face was evident.

Nathan's amused look was gone in an instant to be replaced by the stern, steely one belonging to the captain of the UEO's mighty flagship. "Oh, I assure you Mr. Secretary, I am taking this situation completely seriously. I tend to do that when my crew and my boat are attacked without provocation."

"Glad to hear it, Captain." McGath looked over as another man stepped beside the Secretary. He was large, stern-faced and standing very stiffly beside his boss.

"Captain, this is Henry Weston. He's overseeing security for the trial."

Nathan could hear a low murmur ripple through the bridge crew. Any control he'd tried to maintain over the rumor had just flown out the hatch with McGath's statement.

Weston was a tall, lean man with white hair and a stern, authoritative countenance. He wasn't wearing a UEO uniform, but a suit, much like the secret service, which meant he was heading up an impartial security force.

"Captain Bridger, due to the trouble we've been having in getting the UEO's star witnesses to this trial, I'm going to have your security bring them to a location no where near seaQuest's regular berth, and my security detail will take over from there."

Nathan ignored the shocked looks being exchanged around the bridge and Weston continued before he could respond.

"That location will be known only to yourselves and a few select members of my team. We need to get these scientists here, Captain, at whatever the cost."

"Understood." Nathan turned toward Ford. "What's our ETA?"

"Thirteen hours, sir."

Weston nodded curtly and turned toward McGath, who said, "Please stand by to receive alternate coordinates via UEO secured e-band transmission."

Nathan sat down in his chair and flattened his hand atop the plate that slid out from beneath the console. An automated response indicating that his identity had been confirmed echoed through the bridge and only a few seconds passed before O'Neil looked over and confirmed receipt. "Received, sir."

"We'll see you in thirteen hours, Captain," Weston said as the view screen blinked off.

Nathan stood and turned toward Brody. "I want two men per scientist to act as body guards, and then as many as you need to carry their cargo."

Brody turned to leave but Nathan caught his arm. "Your most experienced men, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

TBC

* * *

What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know!


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes**: Due to all the lovely comments, you're getting this new, much LONGER chapter, a day early . . . Hope you enjoy! :) Again, mucho thanks goes to Mal4Prez on this site for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Nathan rolled over for what had to be the hundredth time in the last thirty minutes. He hadn't really expected to get any sleep, but he had been hoping. He lay there staring up at the ceiling for a long few minutes before he tossed away the covers with an agitated groan and pushed himself out of bed.

He stared down at himself trying to decide if he should walk around in his bathrobe or actually get dressed. It took only a moment to decide. It wouldn't look very professional to be caught in someone else's cabin in his bathrobe.

Nathan dressed quickly, rubbed a distracted hand through his hair and stalked down the deserted corridors. When he arrived at Kristin's cabin he raised his hand to knock and hesitated.

Just then, Dagwood came around the corner carrying his mop.

A small smile spread across the GELF's face. "Oh, hi, Mr. Captain, sir."

Nathan lowered his hand immediately and whirled to face the much larger man. He felt like a teenager caught sneaking into a girl's bedroom window in the middle of the night. He shook his head, grateful that Dagwood couldn't read minds.

"Evening."

"You're up late, Captain, sir." The innocent and curious smile on Dagwood's face melted into one that gave the captain pause.

Nathan stared for a long moment and briefly wondered if the genetically engineered life form had been given some kind of telepathic ability. The way he looked at a person sometimes - it was very strange. "I've got some business to attend to."

"Oh." Dagwood looked uncomfortable and slowly ambled past Nathan. "Dagwood will see Captain later, then."

Nathan smiled kindly. "Yes, I'm sure you will."

He watched as the GELF ambled down the corridor and out of sight. When he turned back around to knock on Kristin's door, it opened suddenly, startling him.

"Might that business have something to do with me?"

He took in her disheveled auburn locks as they framed her face in tangled waves and found it difficult to form any kind of response until she repeated his name.

"Nathan?"

Nathan valiantly struggled to keep his eyes on her face instead of the creamy skin visible between the folds of her robe. "Yes."

"At three o'clock in the morning?" Her richly intoned accent was much sharper in the wee hours.

He moved quickly into her room when she opened the door to admit him. While this was one rumor he wouldn't really mind too badly getting around the boat, he really had enough on his plate to concern himself with at the moment.

The light in the cabin was dim compared to the hallway and he squinted against the darkness. It lasted only long enough for her to shut the door behind him before she raised the lights to their normal brightness.

"And what can I do for you, Captain?" Her eyes swept him up and down. "And why in gods name are you dressed so early in the morning?"

The displeased wrinkle of her nose caused him to chuckle.

"Would you prefer I not be dressed at all?" The twinkle in his eyes was unmistakable.

Her eyes flashed but she ignored him and went to the table. She poured two glasses of water before she turned back toward him again, her arm extended.

He accepted the proffered glass and took a sip.

"You know as well as I do that you tend to walk around the ship at night in your robe."

He pursed his lips and shrugged. "I don't do that so much anymore."

She settled into the chair and leaned back, her eyes still appraising him. "I'm sure the new science contingent is disappointed."

Nathan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh come on, Nathan, you know that half of my team had a crush on you."

He dismissed the revelation with a wave of his hand. She wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. "That happens to a Captain on every tour. I don't pay any attention to it anymore."

She leaned forward and her robe parted further to reveal the top of some lace-trimmed thing she was wearing beneath it. "Was there something you wanted, Nathan?"

"I couldn't sleep." The excuse was flimsy and he knew she'd see right through it.

She raised an eyebrow. "So you thought you'd come share your sleeplessness with me? I'm honored."

He pursed his lips for a moment before responding. "Since it's your fault I'm not sleeping – yes."

She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. "And how is it my fault? You've got a competent CMO. I'm sure she can give you something for your insomnia."

"Do you regret what happened between us?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He'd had a much different approach to the question planned but as everything in his life lately, things didn't seem to work out as he expected.

"What happened between us, Nathan, really?" She stood and paced away from him.

He could see her hands tighten the robe around her waist. "We didn't give us a chance. We just went our separate ways after seaQuest was destroyed and – didn't look back."

"Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen." Her voice held a regret that lingered in the air long after she'd said the words.

He stared at her in disbelief for a long moment before replying. "It took me a long time to admit how interested I was in you," Nathan said with a longsuffering sigh. There had been so many little instances on that first tour that he couldn't explain. A captain didn't hug members of his crew or touch them as often as he did whenever he was around Kristin. "I loved Carol so much, and when she died, she took my heart and my reason for living with her."

"You lived on your island."

He agreed, to a point. "It wasn't living. It was going through the motions. My life changed when I set foot on seaQuest" He laughed derisively.

"What made you stay?"

"Lucas."

Kristin cocked her head and he smiled at the look of surprise on her face.

"You didn't even like him when you met."

"No, I didn't. Until I realized he was just a genius kid who was acting just like any kid, like – Robert when he was that age." He let the silence fall as he remembered the stupidly adult things his teenage son had said to him on occasion.

"What were those genius words of wisdom Lucas bestowed upon our humble captain?"

A sly smile spread across his lips. "If I didn't know better, I would think you're teasing me."

Kristin folded her hands across her lap and sat demurely in the chair. "I'm waiting."

Nathan took a seat across from her and leaned his elbows on the table. "You can make a promise to love one another for the rest of your lives, but you can never anticipate how your life is going to change in the future." He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before he continued. "I'd never planned for my wife, or my son, to die. But when they did, I made a promise to never return to that life."

Kristin nodded in understanding. "You didn't count on Admiral Noyce trapping you on seaQuest until you had no choice _but_ to stay." She knew the story. She'd witnessed it first hand.

"That was pretty much the way of it, yes. And it took a sixteen year old boy to point that out to me."

She stood and stretched. "Ahh, the innocence of youth."

Silence stretched between them before he asked, "After the trial, will you be taking some time -"

She shook her head. "There's still research to be conducted, Nathan."

He looked down at his hands. They were clasped tightly together on the table in front of him. "Right, of course. This trial isn't the end of your work, just an irritating interruption of it."

When her hand fell atop his, he just simply stared at them.

"Nathan?"

"We don't have to give this up."

"I'm torn, too, you know." Her eyes were sad as they searched his. "Seeing you again has made me question – a lot of things."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about that," he admitted gently.

Kristin shook her head. "I'm not very good with relationships, Nathan."

That comment brought a wry smile to his lips. "We don't have one - yet."

She shot him a brief scowl. "Yes we do and you know it."

"Not at all the kind I'd like to have."

"Our work has led us in different directions. It would be so difficult."

He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or him.

"I'm finally at a place in my life where I would like to try," he admitted. He could see the hesitant look in her eyes mingled with regret.

"Nathan-"

He opened his hands and hers sank into them. He squeezed them gently, reassuringly.

"The people trying to kill us, Nathan, they're pretty determined."

"You've got the most powerful boat in the water protecting you. They don't stand a chance." Nathan knew that as soon as she saw the smug look on his face she'd scowl at him. The might of the military was nothing she was ever particularly impressed with.

"I don't want anything to happen to you."

It was an excuse and he knew it. One look at her hesitant eyes and he knew she knew it, too.

"I think one of your scientists is a spy."

It broke the moment, but Nathan knew it would. It wasn't exactly just thoughts of Kristin and their kiss that had caused his sleeplessness. There were just too many loose ends that he couldn't seem to piece together.

Kristin launched herself to her feet, pulled her hands from his and snapped, "Have you lost your mind?"

He reached out a calming hand, which only made her glare even harder at him. "No, Kristin, listen."

She took a step back. "I think I've listened enough for the morning, don't you?"

"I'm trying to keep you alive here!" His raised voice carried through her door and into the hallway but it was so early there wasn't anyone out there to hear it. "Would you at least hear me out?"

The incredulous look on her face wavered just a moment and she settled rigidly back into her chair.

"Now, there's just too much of a coincidence. The UEO chopper assigned to get you was destroyed minutes from picking you up, a sub sent to rendezvous before that. We're attacked twice, after we'd been sailing at an untraceable depth."

"And you think one of my scientists is planning on martyring themselves?"

"SeaQuest wasn't involved in the first two incidents, so there's no reason to suspect a member of my crew. Which leaves the scientists we brought on board."

"I hand picked my team, Nathan. None of them would betray our work."

"What about the people you left in the facility?"

There was a hesitant look in her eyes that told him she didn't know.

"Well, they're tracking us some way and I need to find out how before we reach NCQ."

"They would be out of their minds to attack us once we reach the United States."

"They're not too fearful of seaQuest, having gone up against her twice in the last twenty-four hours."

Kristin slumped in her chair, the fight leaving her.

Nathan moved from his chair and knelt at her feet. "Why don't you lie down and get some rest. We'll figure it out." He stood and pulled her to her feet, intending to lead her over to her bunk. "I'm sorry I woke you. It was selfish of me and-" He stopped when she leaned into his arms and sagged against his chest.

"I just want it all to be over," came her softly accented voice muffled as it was against his chest. "I want to get back to the normal, density of a sea sponge kind of research. Not dodge the torpedo kind."

He could feel the tension in her shoulders, and realized that she was far more scared about this situation that she was letting on. The woman was too damn stubborn for her own good sometimes.

He dropped his hands to her shoulders and began to rub them gently. "What can I do?"

It took a long moment before she lifted her head and looked up at him. "Stay here tonight."

His eyes widened and she shook her head with an annoyed snort. "Not for _that_. You men have a one track mind."

He tilted his head and shrugged. He really couldn't find the words to deny it.

She sighed and pulled out of his embrace.

He didn't let her go far. He followed and steered her back toward the narrow bed built into the wall, "Whatever you want."

She stared down at the bed for a long moment before he slipped around her and climbed in. He settled himself on his side and opened his arms.

Wordlessly, she joined him and leaned her back against his chest. Once she had finished pillowing her head in the most comfortable place on his arm, he gently dropped the other over her and closed his eyes.

"Thank you, Nathan," he heard her whisper and it wasn't long before he could hear her breathing settle into a calm, steady rhythm.

It was a long, long time before he joined her in sleep.

* * *

In the mess, the vid screen was tuned toward the news coverage of the trial. Every eye in the room was watching it closely as a reporter spoke.

"_This is Storm Thorndyke reporting outside UEO Headquarters where a top witness in this unprecedented trial has been assassinated."_

The picture flipped to coverage of the assassination as a man surrounded by several armed guards walked toward the building. Shots were fired and the man, as well as the guards, went down amid a torrent of screams. Thorndyke's voiceover continued as the camera rolled.

"_The trial has been plagued with problems and this assassination of a top UEO witness just places more stress on the prosecution to provide additional testimony to prove its case."_

The next image was of Secretary McGath as he stood in front of a podium and addressed a crowd of reporters.

"_Secretary General McGath has assured the court that additional witnesses will be arriving to testify. We've contacted his office, as well as the office of the President, and they are giving no additional information on who these additional witnesses are or when they will be arriving."_

"Wow," Lonnie muttered as she set her spoon down on her tray.

"Yeah, no wonder they brought in seaQuest," Piccolo observed as he took a bite of pudding.

"It's still dangerous, though," Lucas said as he watched the vid-screen for a few more seconds. "That witness was killed right on the front steps of the courthouse." He looked over at Lonnie, Dagwood, and Tony, his eyes fill of fear. "How are we going to get them there safely enough to testify?"

"SeaQuest will protect them," Dagwood said confidently around a mouthful of rice. He chewed it cautiously, as if the density and the shape of the food were foreign to his tongue. He looked down at his tray after he swallowed the bite. "This is not potatoes."

Lucas grinned as he looked down at the plate. "No, its rice, Dagwood."

"What is rice?"

"Fattening, just like potatoes," Lonnie said just before she popped a slice of apple into her mouth.

Dagwood looked down at his jumpsuit-clad body and then over at Lonnie, a pout forming on his lips. "Dagwood fat?"

Lonnie's eyes widened in fear and when she began to reassure him, Piccolo leaned over and slapped Lucas on the shoulder.

"What a role reversal, huh?"

But before Lucas could respond, they all glanced up at the mention of a name that the EarthNet reporter should know nothing about.

The information was classified.

"_And we've just received a report that UEO flagship seaQuest will be delivering additional witnesses for the prosecution. We don't know when or where they will be arriving, but we will keep you informed. This is Storm Thorndyke, for EarthNet news. Good night."_

Lucas' eyes widened and even Tony looked scared.

"The Cap isn't going to be happy about this."

Piccolo looked at his watch. "Wonder if I can call in sick for duty today?"

Lonnie nodded. "If you're calling in sick, so am I."

Lucas pushed away from the table and stood. "I've seen him mad before. I'm going."

Piccolo snuggled more firmly into his chair. "It's your funeral."

* * *

Bridger paced the Ward Room, his expression one of intense displeasure. The scientists were all sitting in the back, while the command staff sat closest to their captain. Commander Ford, Dr. Smith, Lucas and Ortiz sat on one side of the table. O'Neill, Piccolo, Brody and Lonnie Henderson were on the other.

"What the hell is going on? Did anyone not grasp a clear understanding of 'classified' where this situation is concerned?" Nathan paced, as angry as anyone had ever seen him. "How did that reporter get information on seaQuest?" He turned to O'Neill.

"I – I don't know, sir. I'll look into it right away."

"Yes, I know you will." He turned to Lucas. "And I want you to trace any signals leaving this boat since we picked up our passengers. I want to know if that leak originated from seaQuest."

He turned to Wendy. "I am authorizing a scan of every member of my crew. Find out who leaked this information."

Wendy nodded but one of the scientists, a Frank Yu, stepped forward, tossing a hesitant look at the resident telepath.

Nathan looked up, annoyed that anyone dared to interrupt his tirade. "What is it Mr. Yu?"

"Don't we have to give permission for a scan, Captain Bridger?"

"Not if I deem it necessary for the safety of every man and woman on this boat."

"And if we refuse a scan?"

Bridger's gaze hardened. His eyes darted from Kristin, who was still looking straight ahead, to Mr. Yu. "Then you will be bumped to the top of my list of suspects."

Kristin stood and placed a hand on Yu's arm. The man quieted immediately and then she turned her gaze forward. "Nathan, we need to talk." She glanced around the room and Nathan felt his insides clench. What else could she possibly have failed to tell him? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Privately."

"All right, everyone back to their stations. I want to know if you see anything suspicious, or anyone."

Everyone stood and filed out of the room. Wendy Smith lingered for a moment until the only people left were Nathan, Brody and the scientists.

"Do you need my help?" Wendy asked with a glance back toward the scientists.

"No, we'll be fine." He noticed Kristin shake her head in agreement. "Start your scans. I want those results yesterday."

After Wendy left, Nathan motioned them forward. "Sit, please."

Mr. Yu began almost immediately. "I'm sorry, Captain, but I cannot allow a scan." He glanced from fellow scientist Devon Tye, to Rachel and Raymond Tan and then to Kristin. They were all nodding slowly in agreement.

Nathan set his palms on the table and leaned forward, his eyes searching the faces of each scientist. "Does anyone else object?"

"With the nature of our work, Captain," Yu continued to speak slowly, "You have to understand that we have a great deal of knowledge about many classified projects."

"Is that a yes?" Nathan asked impatiently.

"For the sake of national security, yes, Captain."

Nathan pulled himself to his full height. "If we can't implicate a member of my crew in this incident, I'm afraid, that in the interests of _our_ security that I will insist."

Three of the scientists began to protest but Nathan raised his hand toward Brody. "Take them back to their rooms."

Dr. Yu began to protest. "Captain-"

"You are confined to your cabins until we reach our destination."

Devon Tye stood abruptly. "This is highly unacceptable. Our cargo-"

"-will be safe and untouched, just like it has been since you arrived." Nathan set his jaw and tapped a button on the comm. system sitting on the table. "Mr. O'Neill, give me ship wide please."

"On, sir."

"Attention, this is the Captain. Until further notice, unless you are on duty, I am confining everyone to their quarters." He shot a pointed look at Mr. Yu. "Until such time as this threat to our safety is contained, we must take every available precaution. Bridger out." He terminated the signal and nodded to Brody, who began to usher Yu and the Tan's out of the room.

Kristin remained seated, as did Devon Tye. Brody glanced at them and then back at Nathan.

"Leave me one of your guards," Nathan ordered firmly.

Brody nodded and then shut the door behind him.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Nathan demanded. He was done being pleasant.

"Nathan-"

"Kristin, what aren't you telling me?"

"Doctor Yu is correct in his refusal to have a telepath enter his mind."

Nathan was aghast that she was agreeing with her people. "Even if it will help us save your lives?"

"If the information some of these people know gets out, it could end so many millions more."

"Wendy is doing the scan, Kristin. Whatever knowledge she obtains –"

"-will go into her report," Kristin finished for him. "I've been where she is, Nathan. I know the procedure."

"Her _classified_ report."

"Your security clearance isn't high enough, Nathan."

The battle of wills continued for a few more minutes before Nathan called for security to escort Doctor Tye to his cabin.

Tye turned at the door and looked at Nathan. "I would like to check on my cargo, if you don't mind?"

Nathan could see the challenge in the scientist's eyes. "That's fine. Security will go with you."

After they were alone, Nathan turned to Kristin. The tough exterior she exhibited when everyone else was around had weakened a bit. He moved to sit beside her and reached for her hand. It was cold and clammy as it rested in her lap.

"Kristin, if I don't know what's going on, I can't help you." He pulled his chair closer. "Let me help you."

He searched her down-turned eyes for a long few moments. He could see her wrestling with a decision and he didn't envy her position, but if he was going to plot the best course of action, he needed to know everything.

Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Only Devon and I, and a few high ranking members of the UEO military know what I'm about to tell you."

"How can this be worse than anything else you've told me?" Nathan asked. His voice dropped as if there were others in the room that he didn't want to overhear, but the room was empty. The door was shut.

"Because it isn't just a few cases here and there. In recent months, they've developed an airborne weapon created from the biologics infected with the waste contaminants."

Nathan's eyes widened and he shook his head. Chemical and biological warfare had been outlawed with nuclear weapons around the turn of the century. "How do you know this?"

Kristin took a deep breath. "Someone who had been affected was brought to us for testing. We couldn't help him. He died as we were trying to synthesize an antigen from the chemicals we found in his blood."

"Kristin, this goes far beyond genetic manipulation. If the South American Confederation is manufacturing biological and chemical weapons, they are in violation of just about every code of conduct since the treaty of '09."

"Just because a Confederation signs that treaty, doesn't mean that they don't continue to violate it behind closed borders."

Nathan stood and paced around the room. "This is –." He shook his head incredulously. "How did you get involved with this?"

She grinned wryly. "It definitely wasn't in my job description."

Nathan exhaled deeply and loudly. "So the UEO needs you to testify on multiple counts." He glanced at the vid screen in front of him and then tapped a command into the control on the table. "Mr. O'Neill, give me course and speed on the Wardroom vid screen, please."

After a moment, the screen popped on with the requested information. Nathan thanked his communications officer and cut the connection. He slipped a laser pointer off the table and pointed it toward the screen.

"Nathan?"

He heard her call his name but ignored it in favor of not losing his train of thought. "The press knows we've been assigned to escort you, but they don't know where we'll be docking. If we can-" He looked sideways at her when her hand touched his arm. "Nathan. There's more."

He stared disbelievingly at her. "More?"

"This weapon works just as well under the water as it does on land."

The laser pointer slipped from his hand. "What?"

"They've done extensive testing in some sparsely populated areas with natural springs and ponds."

Nathan shook his head. He knew what she was going to say and he didn't want to hear it. But he had to. He had to know what this weapon could do. "And?"

"It wiped out every living thing." Her voice trembled as she repeated, "Every. Living. Thing."

"Plant? Animal?" he asked, desperately trying to keep his mind from conjuring anything more dramatic.

"And water life."

Nathan sank into the closest chair, head in his hands. "Oh my god."

"We have samples of the sea life affected, land-based, human-"

"How long after contamination does it dissipate?" His voice was muffled due to the position of his head. But when he got no response, he lifted his eyes to Kristin's.

"It doesn't."

Nathan's eyes popped open even wider. He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. No, he couldn't have heard her right. "What?"

"Raymond and Rachel Tan are biological warfare experts. They've been monitoring and studying organisms contaminated by the testing. In every single case, it doesn't dissipate. It doesn't spread. It just sits there like a heavy cloud over the affected area."

Nathan shook his head. "Jesus, Kristin."

"It doesn't spread with the weather patterns or ocean currents like radiation. We haven't been able to figure out why. Nor have we been able to find any sort of treatment."

"What are the symptoms?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Asphyxiation."

"They suffocate?"

"The chemical reacts with every living organism differently and prevents their bodies from processing the oxygen they need to live."

Nathan shook his head. This was a disaster not in the making, but just waiting for the right time to deploy. "This kind of weapon would make a region completely uninhabitable - forever."

Kristin nodded solemnly.

"Why haven't they deployed it yet?" Nathan asked, even though he was afraid of the answer. "It sounds like the perfect containable, unstoppable weapon."

"I don't know."

"The UEO knows about this?"

"Yes. But they don't have access to all of our research. Our communication subs continued to have – accidents."

Nathan nodded slowly in understanding. "That's another reason why they're so adamant that we bring you in safely."

"Yes."

"And the UEO won't insist on a site inspection for fear of them setting off this weapon?"

"I think so, yes."

Nathan shoved a hand through his already disheveled hair and shook his head. "When this is over, I'm taking a vacation." He took her hand and rubbed it gently. "And so are you."

TBC

* * *

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	8. Chapter 7

**Notes**: I'm going to start posting these a bit quicker since my beta just finished with the last chapter. Though, really, if no one makes a peep about this chapter, I can keep to my normal 2 per week posting schedule. :)

**Chapter 7**

"I don't care how you do it," President Vargas said as he paced around his ornately furnished office.

Marquand watched his leader with a cautious eye. "Mr. President, it will be easier when their transport is docked."

The man stopped his pacing and glanced up. "What do you mean?"

"We'll attack as soon as they reach land." A small, smug smile began to spread across Marquand's face.

A skeptical look followed on Vargas'. "Isn't that cutting things a little close?"

"We've been successful so far."

The President seemed to reconsider his earlier skeptical comment. "True, you've dispatched a few of the prosecution's star witnesses quite thoroughly."

"And we have additional information that they don't know we have."

Vargas stared at his general, a confused look on his face.

"Their drop point."

The President's eyes widened and he rubbed his hands together. "Excellent."

"I will be informing the press at the appropriate time as well." Marquand grinned smugly.

"Why?"

"Additional cover, a distraction, of course. When seaQuest reaches their destination, they're going to have a media circus on their hands – and the UEO won't have enough security on site to control them all."

"Excellent."

"It's not really needed, since those chosen for this job are loyalists. They expect to die. But an extra measure of precaution doesn't hurt."

"Then there will be no chance of failure this time."

"None."

"Good." The president walked back to his desk and sank into the mahogany chair. "And - what about the weapon?"

"Our scientists still haven't been able to isolate the chemicals that will enable us to deploy the toxin with no negative affect to our Confederation."

Vargas frowned. "Keep working on it."

* * *

Kristin Westphalen stood in front of the captain, her hands on her hips. It was clear to anyone within earshot that she was angry. "I don't think it's a good idea," she told Nathan firmly.

Nathan had been on the other end of her ire before, it wasn't anything new. He could sense, rather than see, the scientists milling about, clearly trying to avoid placing themselves in her line of sight.

If the area hadn't been cordoned off, he knew without a doubt that his people would be watching the confrontation taking place in the launch bay.

"Your concern is noted," he replied with an air of finality, which he knew from experience that Kristin would ignore.

Sure enough, she cocked her head and pursed her lips. "But you're going to do it anyway."

"Kristin, I'm going with the security team." Even Ford had protested but Nathan'd pulled rank. He was going with the team to escort the scientists into UEO custody and no one had the authority to tell him otherwise.

"You don't even like guns," she hissed stubbornly.

He straightened the padded vest he wore over his uniform. "I have no qualms with using one to protect myself, or someone else."

She lowered her voice. "I wish you would re-consider."

He unconsciously fiddled with the gun belt strapped to his hip. She was right and they both knew it. He was going only because he wanted to be the one to protect her, not because he was needed. "Why?"

Her eyes met his, burning with anger and something else – concern. "Because you're the _captain_ of this boat. You shouldn't be going."

Nathan stepped forward and lowered his voice so that everyone in the bay couldn't hear. "I think there's another reason."

She shook her head and took a step back not meeting his eyes.

Brody chose that moment to interrupt. "Launch is set, Captain. Cargo is secure."

Nathan swallowed his ire at the interruption. "Good, Lieutenant. Then let's get underway." He moved aside and let each scientist, along with their security, enter before turning and offering his hand to Kristin.

She huffed and strode right by him, not even bothering to look back over her shoulder to see if he followed.

* * *

"I don't think this is a good idea," Lucas muttered as he paced the bridge.

Wendy Smith, Tim O'Neill and Jonathan Ford turned from their respective positions to look at him. Even Dagwood, holding his mop, stole glances at the screen as he worked.

"I don't think anyone would disagree with you, Lucas," Wendy Smith said softly.

Lucas shook his head and sighed. "You should have stopped him."

"Unless he violates some section of the UEO code, I am obligated to follow his orders," Ford replied with an equally as unhappy sigh.

"He doesn't even like guns.

"We're monitoring the situation from here and will-" Commotion from O'Neill's console caused Ford to stop mid-sentence. "What is it Mr. O'Neill?"

O'Neill held his headset closer to his ear with one hand while his other quickly flipped switches. His mouth and eyes widened a mere second before he turned to Ford. "Sir, we've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Ford asked, coming to stand beside O'Neill's terminal. Wendy and Lucas followed.

"The press. They're waiting at the drop point."

"Damnit!" Ford growled. "Get me the captain."

Lucas turned fearful eyes on Ford. "How'd they find out? No one is supposed to know!"

They all knew the press had been informed that seaQuest would be bringing in the scientists, but no one knew that the location had been compromised.

* * *

Nathan sat beside a visibly bristling Kristin as the launch neared the surface. She hadn't said a word to him since they'd left and he hadn't tried to placate her. He was part of the security team and she didn't have a choice in the matter. It wasn't as if this was the first time he'd done something like this.

A chime sounded just as he opened his mouth to speak to her. With a roll of his eyes he slipped his PAL from his belt and spoke into it.

"Bridger here."

"Sir, someone has leaked the docking information."

When Nathan's eyes met Kristin's, he could see the genuine fear radiating back from them. "What?"

"We don't know how, but there is a line of reporters on the dock waiting for you."

"Can we abort and find another place – "

"Sir, they'll be late for the trial if we try and find another port. UEO security is already there waiting for them." The worry and hesitation in Ford's voice was audible. "We're cutting it close as it is."

"Damnit." Nathan lowered his arm and thought for a moment. "Send another launch with additional security to back us up. They're just reporters. They'll be annoying, nothing more."

"Yes, sir," came the hesitant voice before the comm clicked off.

Nathan glanced up to see the eyes of everyone in the launch staring intently at him. He raised his hands in assurance. "We've got plenty of security and Ford is sending another launch."

* * *

Every vid screen on the bridge was tuned toward the scene on the small dock. Media swarmed the area waiting for the launch and a view of the high profile scientists that the seaQuest crew was about to deliver.

Ford scowled at the screen. "I don't like this."

"It isn't good," Lucas agreed with a shake of his head.

Ford faced Lucas, his expression serious. "I want a constant sensor sweep of the area. I want to know if someone so much as sneezes."

Lucas hurried up the steps toward his console and began to furiously tap the keys. "Sweeping," the teen said as he glanced toward the vid screen and then back at his console.

"Anything?" Ford asked.

"Nope."

"Keep monitoring," Ford instructed and then turned to O'Neill. "The second launch there yet?"

"Almost, sir."

Dagwood stepped forward and pointed at the screen. "Those people shouldn't be there."

Everyone glanced at the screen. All they could see was a crush of media all waiting to get that first photo or comment.

"None of them should be there, you're right, Dagwood," Ford said with a shake of his head.

Dagwood tilted his head and stared, not at the reporters, but at the steely eyed group of people moving silently through the throng.

* * *

The launch shook gently as it reached the dock and everyone turned their eyes on Lonnie as she called for their attention.

"Everything is clear, sir!" She hauled herself out of the seat and joined the team in the back.

Nathan nodded to the seaQuest helmswoman. "Thank you for the ride, Miss Henderson."

Lonnie straightened her flak vest and steadied the weapon on her hip.

Nathan shook his head. "You'll be staying with the launch."

When she began to protest, Nathan held up a hand to silence her. "We've got sufficient security. I need you here to keep watch."

Kristin noticed Henderson's deep frown and leaned over toward the younger woman. "He's got this protective streak that's difficult to break."

Lonnie stuck to her guns. "I've gone on more dangerous missions, Captain."

Nathan shook his head. He didn't need another woman to be difficult with him; Kristin Westphalen was enough to handle. "Be that as it may, you're staying here."

Lonnie was about to protest when her headset chimed. She touched the earpiece and nodded, professional once again. "They're ready for you dockside, Captain."

Nathan turned toward his security team. "Okay folks, just as we reviewed."

Brody nodded and began to place his people in order of disembarkation. Once finished, he nodded at Bridger.

Nathan turned his attention to Lonnie, who was standing by the door. "Miss Henderson, if you please?"

She nodded curtly and punched the large red button on the side of the door. It slid open with a hiss and water dripped from above as it was released from the air tight seals.

Sunlight streamed into the doorway and they all blinked momentarily until their eyes got used to the natural light.

"Ok, people," Bridger said with an air of authority, "let's move." He waited as everyone preceded him, then slid his hand around Kristin's arm. They moved together, him on one side of her, a large burly ensign by the name of Marks on the other.

Nathan noticed the dirty look she shot him when he took hold of her, but she didn't pull away. She simply huffed and allowed herself be led.

Additional UEO security lined the walkway as they made their way toward the large transports waiting along the roadway a few dozen yards away. Nathan's eyes darted around the assembled reporters and cameramen searching for anything that could be a potential threat to the safety of his charge.

They walked quickly, ignoring questions flung at them from the sidelines. As one reporter called his name, Nathan looked up.

Behind the woman holding the microphone out as far as her arm would reach was a dark-eyed man with an unreadable expression. Alarms began to sound in the back of Nathan's head but before he could utter a word, the man smiled eerily – and then an explosion rippled through the crowd.

Screams erupted as shrapnel radiated outward, blowing away limbs and lives. Nathan felt a hot rush of air push him into Kristin and he desperately wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the deadly blast.

On the heels of the searing heat penetrating his back, Nathan felt, rather than heard, the automatic fire of a machine gun cutting through the air. He flinched as a shot made it through his protective vest and then stumbled as Ensign Marks barreled into him, hurrying his descent toward the ground.

Nathan pulled Kristin down with him and twisted, hoping to cover her body with his own. He heard her cry out and in his peripheral vision he could see the blue uniforms of his security team twitch and fall as they were taken down by the gun fire.

The last thing he saw was Kristin's eyes widen in fear and her scream of despair as his vest was hit again.

* * *

On the bridge of the seaQuest, Commander Ford barked orders without an iota of hesitation. Despite the look of horror on the faces of everyone who had witnessed the bombing, and subsequent shooting, they all followed their orders as quickly as possible.

"O'Neill, scramble medivac choppers and get a med team up there! Then get me UEO headquarters!"

"Lucas, find those bastards! How did we miss them?!"

On the vid screens around the bridge were several different views of the scene. One was an aerial shot of charred and bloodied bodies littering the ground. Another was a shot of the pavement where a camera lay on the ground.

Wendy Smith hurried off the bridge without waiting for the order. Ford nodded his approval before turning back toward O'Neill.

"Secretary General McGath on forward screen for you, sir!"

Ford inhaled sharply and continued to bark orders. McGath waited for a few seconds until Ford turned his attention to the front view screen.

"Status, Commander?" People hurried around McGath but he kept his focus forward.

Another man stood beside the Secretary General, irritatingly shifting from one foot to another and clearly wanted to speak.

"We've got another security team and medical personnel on the way now, sir," Ford replied. His stomach was doing somersaults and his hands were shaking, but his voice was remarkably calm.

"What the hell happened?" McGath was clearly upset with him, and that made Ford's blood boil. There was no way they could have anticipated this.

"It all went down so fast, we don't know, sir," Ford said quickly. "Someone leaked the drop point."

"Are the scientists alive?" the man beside McGath demanded and Ford finally lost what little reign he had on his temper.

"I really don't know, sir. We're seeing the same unbelievable feed as you are."

The man shook his head. "We need those scientists and their-"

"Is that all you can think about?!" Ford fumed. "There are more than five lives on the line here! And it's my job to go in there and clean up the mess." Ford walked forward, his eyes unwavering as he stared at the two men.

"We've got additional men on the way, Commander," McGath assured.

Ford caught himself before he snapped at his superior again. He managed to reply with a surprisingly calm voice. "If anyone is still alive up there, we're probably going to need all the help we can get."

* * *

President Vargas clasped his hands together and leaned back in his plush chair, a wide, satisfied smile on his face.

"Well done. Well done!" Vargas turned his attention from the screen to General Marquand. "Do we have confirmation that they are all dead?"

"I'm waiting on additional reports, Mr. President," Marquand said slowly. "Understandably, our agents didn't make it out of the confrontation alive."

"Of course they didn't," Vargas shrugged. "They weren't meant to." His smile disappeared. "I need that confirmation."

"As soon as I have it, sir."

The picture on the vid screen alternated to several different views of the dead. A sea of blue UEO uniforms were among the fallen, and as additional uniformed men arrived on the scene, Vargas leaned back in his chair and smiled satisfactorily at the sight of the destruction.

TBC

* * *

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	9. Chapter 8

Notes: Thanks for the comments. The site wasn't posting them for a day or so, there. I wondered if the events in the last chapter had shocked everyone into silence! :)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"I want to go!" The fire in Lucas' eyes would have intimidated a weaker man, but Jonathan Ford wasn't one such man.

"They wouldn't let you close and you know it." Jonathan turned to issue another order before returning his attention to Lucas.

"But I want to be there."

The sadness on the teen's face mirrored the suppressed feelings in Jonathan's heart. He couldn't outwardly show how concerned he was for his fellow crew – and captain but his stomach was a permanent resident of his feet nonetheless.

"No one is allowed to leave seaQuest," Jonathan repeated, probably for the fiftieth time in the last twenty minutes, and probably the tenth just to Lucas himself.

"But, sir-"

Jonathan let a bit of his composure slip so that Lucas wouldn't think him so cold-hearted. He touched the boy's shoulder. "I know, Lucas. I know. But we have to remain here until we're given further orders."

"But the Captain – Ortiz – Brody – Doctor Westphalen . . ." Lucas' eyes pleaded with Jonathan.

"As soon as I have a moment, I'll try and get a hold of Wendy."

Ford turned toward the vid-screen just as it blinked away from the carnage on the dock to a still very harried and worried Secretary General McGath.

* * *

Doctor Wendy Smith bounced impatiently at the door to the launch. She could feel the transport break the surface and just in the short time it had taken them to reach land, she could feel the fright and hysteria coming from the people on the dock.

She started when the chime from her personal communicator alerted her to an incoming call. She lifted it off her belt.

"Yes?"

"Wendy." Ford's voice came loud and clear through the device.

"Commander."

"UEO reinforcements have arrived and secured the area but please approach with caution."

Wendy nodded, relived that there was someone already there to protect them from further attack. "Will do, Jonathan."

There was a hesitation in his response and she waited for a moment. "Was there anything else?"

"Wendy – our people –"

Wendy closed her eyes and sighed. She knew what he wanted to say without him having to speak the words.

"I know, Jonathan. I know."

She clicked the PAL off just as the launch settled and the door slid open. The med team's security escort preceded them but Wendy followed close at their heels.

What greeted her when she stepped off the launch made her instantly nauseous. The minds surrounding her screamed for attention and she stopped for a moment and touched her fingers to her temple. There was no way she was going to be able to block them out. But as her eyes scanned the familiar prone forms of her crew, she swallowed hard and pushed the anguished cries of the conscious from her mind.

UEO med teams had arrived and the air swirled with medical helicopters. Wendy and her team joined in the triage of the injured, finding, much to their dismay, that there were more dead than alive.

When she finally reached the first seaQuest security officer, she pursed her lips when she noticed that he had not only caught a large part of the initial explosion, but a fatal number of bullets as well.

The next two seaQuest security officers were also dead as were those who carried the scientists cargo crates. A few of the boxes had been upended and a few had been charred by the explosion, but their contents were still sealed inside. The guards who had been carrying them, however, were all dead.

Wendy inhaled sharply as she moved swiftly to the next of seaQuest's security. She pulled with all of her strength and rolled the bulky man over. His lifeless eyes lay open but she pressed a finger to his throat anyway. With a sigh, she dropped to her knees and reached out a trembling hand to touch the next man's shoulder.

She looked up to see someone ahead of her turn over an unconscious Brody, and another with Ortiz. Blood stained their clothing and as they were pulled off the scientists they'd been assigned to guard, she could see blood dotting the bodies beneath them as well.

Wendy turned her attention back to the man beneath her hands. She pressed a finger to his neck and was relieved to find a pulse. Thready but it was there. "We need to turn him gently. We can't risk further injury," she said to her assistant.

Blood covered Nathan Bridger's torso as they settled him on his back. Kristin Westphalen, who lay unconscious beneath him, was also covered in blood. Wendy immediately began to treat the captain while her assistant moved toward Kristin.

Wendy cut away the flak vest and winced when she noticed that a few shots had gotten through the protective material. She ripped open his shirt and immediately pressed a compress to the most severe of the wounds. Without another glance, she called for the medivac team.

"I need this man airlifted to the nearest critical care hospital."

A quick scan of the team triaging Brody, Ortiz and a few other UEO security officers revealed the same necessity.

* * *

By the time the crew of seaQuest was permitted to disembark the submarine, the site had been taped off and all of the dead had been transported to the morgue and the survivors to the hospital.

Ford was surprised to see a stretch military vehicle with tinted windows waiting for the senior officers as they stepped onto the dock.

The driver stood before the vehicle large enough to carry the entire bridge staff. "Commander, I've been ordered to take you to the UEO Naval Hospital at NCQ."

Lucas exchanged a look with Tony Piccolo but it was Ford who answered.

"Thank you."

Ford stepped aside and let everyone get in first and then followed. He remained silent as they got underway. He'd been issuing orders and taking command of the situation and all he wanted to do was close his eyes and not speak for the next few hours.

Dagwood shifted his head slowly toward Piccolo. "Are they all dead?"

"No!" Ford and Lucas echoed at the same time.

"How do you know?" The GELF asked, confusion coloring his already mottled features.

"They just can't be," Lucas answered before turning his head to look out the window. There were cars with flashing lights in front and behind them and he could feel that they were challenging the speed limit on the suddenly clear roads. The flags of the UEO and the United States flapped in the breeze outside the vehicle.

"But they weren't moving." Dagwood's voice dropped but his eyes still innocently shifted to everyone around the vehicle looking for an answer – or reassurance.

"Dagwood!" The tone in Ford's voice left no room for argument.

Ford's gaze shifted toward Lonnie and O'Neill, sitting across from him. The young woman was still in shock and she was gripping O'Neill's hand so hard the fingers Ford could see were white. He had no doubt in his mind the woman felt guilty for hiding in the launch when the attack began.

"Have you heard from Wendy?" Lucas' question hung in the air for a moment before Ford registered that it was directed at him.

"Hmm? Oh." Jonathan shook his head. "No. I haven't."

"Didn't you ask her to keep you informed?" The irritation and anxiousness in Lucas' voice would have been mirrored in his own had he allowed it to be.

"I'm sure she's been busy with the injured."

After a short period of time, the vehicle pulled up to the UEO Naval Hospital amid a flurry of media and flashbulbs.

"We're under a gag order," Jonathan reminded everyone as they waited for their transport to come to a stop.

Tony turned toward Dagwood, who had a confused look on his child-like face. "That means no speaking to the press."

"Get into the building as quickly as you can," Ford said as he prepared to open the door. "The press isn't allowed inside."

From the outside, the doors on either side of the vehicle were opened by UEO security and the passengers were waved out.

* * *

They walked through the hospital hallways and past doors where security waited, checking IDs. When they reached their designated floor, they were led to a large waiting room.

Admiral Noyce turned from where he was speaking with an aide and Lucas beelined for him the moment the two men's eyes met.

Ford followed a bit more sedately. If he'd been willing to admit it to himself, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what the Admiral had to say.

"How are they?" Lucas asked, worry and impatience in his wide-open eyes.

Noyce shook his head. "There isn't a lot of news yet."

Ford came to stand beside the two men and inclined his head respectfully toward his superior officer.

"There has to be something!" Lucas insisted, his tone desperate for information. "The captain? Doctor Westphalen? Brody? Ortiz?"

Ford placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Lucas."

"What little news we have isn't good."

Dagwood, O'Neill, still holding Lonnie's hand, and Piccolo stopped behind Ford, and waited quietly for Noyce to continue.

Noyce shook his head sadly. "I wanted to wait to hear back from the doctors. They've all been busy and information has been sketchy on the survivors."

"How many did we lose, sir?" Ford asked, unwilling to delay the inevitable.

"Ten."

"Just from seaQuest security?" Lucas blurted, disbelief coloring his face.

"Yes."

"Who?" Ford asked slowly. He could see by the regretful look in Noyce's eyes that by asking the question the Admiral would reveal something he didn't want to hear.

"Of the remaining, six are critical, two made it with comparatively minor injuries."

Lucas bounced impatiently beside him, his mouth open waiting for Noyce to finish. "Who's critical?"

Ford noticed the small flicker in the man's eyes and knew what he was going to say.

"Nathan, your security chief, two of his men, and sensor chief Ortiz."

"Oh God," Lonnie murmured.

Ford tightened his fingers on Lucas' shoulder when he noticed the teen's mouth begin to tremble.

"How critical?" Piccolo asked from behind them.

Noyce shook his head. "I don't know. The doctors have been a little busy. I haven't been able to pin them down to ask."

Ford inhaled slowly. He knew Noyce would continue. "We lost two of the scientists. The other three have varying injuries but are expected to make a full recovery." He held up a hand to silence Lucas' next inevitable question. "Doctor Westphalen wasn't hurt badly."

Ford felt himself release a short breath at the little bit of good news. But then he had another question that made his blood boil. "The assassins?" His eyes were hard, steely.

"All dead."

Before Ford could comment, Wendy Smith came through the doors, exhaustion and sadness written all over her pale face.

"Doctor?" Lucas hurried to her side but stopped when she raised her hands.

"Just a minute, Lucas." She turned to Admiral Noyce. "Doctor Westphalen would like to speak with you, sir. I'll take you."

Ford moved to continue Lucas' questioning and she turned sad eyes on him. "I'll be right back."

Ford nodded solemnly and refused to look at the anguish he knew was plainly visible on Lucas' face.

* * *

Noyce walked silently behind Smith, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the suddenly silent walls. He'd asked a few of the medical staff about Nathan a few times but had been given the run around at every turn. As they reached the closed door, he asked finally decided to ask Wendy. "What about Nathan? I haven't been able to get anything out of - well, anyone."

Smith shook her head and sighed. "I haven't been treating him. But I do know he's critical, Admiral."

Outwardly Noyce didn't flinch, but inwardly he took the blow like a punch to the gut. He and Nathan had been friends for over thirty years and he wasn't about to let a bullet end that friendship yet. "You don't know anything more?" He felt like she was holding something back.

"Anything more would be speculation and I don't want to get your hopes up."

Noyce stopped short and whirled her to face him. "That's one of my best friends you're talking about. Even if he's got no chance at all I expect you to tell me."

"He's been in surgery since he arrived." She pointed out the nearest window to illustrate her point. "I found him out there and had to call for a medivac to get him out before he died under my fingers." Her voice began to crack from the strain and Noyce suddenly felt for the woman who not only had to deal with _treating_ the trauma, but _feeling_ it as well.

"What are his chances?" Noyce asked quietly.

"I don't know. I really don't know." She shook her head sadly. "He was barely breathing when I found him. Three bullets made it past his vest and there were burns from the explosion."

"How bad?" His voice was even lower now.

She looked away. "Bad."

Noyce closed his eyes and sighed. "Thank you." He released her arms and pulled open the door. Wendy didn't follow.

He wasn't surprised to find Kristin animatingly shifting in the bed and shooting a glare at the nurse that came to take the readings from the equipment monitoring her condition. When she noticed him, her glare found a new recipient.

"What's the status of my team?" she asked her eyes unblinking. "My _entire_ team."

The point was not lost on Noyce.

"Mr. Tye and Mr. Tan were killed. Mrs. Tan and Mr. Wu sustained survivable injuries."

"And?" The impatience in her voice and in her face would have made a less experienced man wilt.

He continued, though he knew that this bit of information wouldn't be on her list of top priorities. He wasn't looking forward to delivering news about Nathan. "Your cargo is safely in protective custody."

"I don't give a bloody _damn_ about my cargo at this point, _Admiral_." The fire in Kristin's eyes burned so hotly he needed to look away for a moment.

"Most of the security team is dead, the rest are in critical condition. Two received minor injuries."

Noyce shifted his gaze back to the doctor and watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, they were filled with a weary sadness that came from the undeniable knowledge that these men had died to protect her.

"Nathan?"

He paused to take a deep breath and steeled himself for her reaction. "He's critical."

"How critical?" He suddenly felt very small beneath her steady gaze. "That can mean a bloody lot of things to a doctor."

Noyce held up his hands to deflect the invisible darts she shot in his direction. "I don't know. All I could get out of Wendy was that he was critical. He was still in surgery. She didn't know more."

Kristin scowled deeply. "She wouldn't tell me anything at all."

"She was under no obligation to give you any information, Doctor." Noyce immediately regretted his words when Kristin moved to get out of the bed and then scowled at the IV attached to her arm.

"I want to see him," she demanded.

"They're not even letting _me_ see him, Doctor," Noyce answered a bit perplexed by her determination and concern. He knew he shouldn't be, but the confusion was still there. She'd ended her relationship with his best friend two years ago and hadn't, to his knowledge, looked back.

"I need to see him, Bill." The pleading look in her eyes made him wonder just what exactly had happened on that boat since seaQuest had picked up the scientists.

But he couldn't give in. For a change, he didn't have the authority. This matter was out of his hands. "The UEO is detaining you and your colleagues, Doctor. If you're going anywhere, it will be to a holding facility."

Her eyes hardened and Noyce instinctively took a step back. "I'm not going anywhere until I see him."

Noyce exhaled loudly. "Doctor-"

Noyce got the distinct impression that if looks could kill he'd be six feet under by now.

* * *

Lucas paced the waiting room impatiently glancing outside whenever a doctor, nurse or security officer walked by.

Ford turned from the window and regarded Lucas with a sympathetic sigh. "Why don't you sit down for a bit?"

"Why hasn't he come back?"

"Admiral Noyce is an important man. I'm sure he has a lot of work-"

"He has people to take care of things like this for him, Lucas," O'Neill looked up from his seat. His arms were still wrapped comfortingly around a distraught Lonnie's shoulders.

Lucas whirled on O'Neill and Ford inserted himself between the two men. "_Things_ like this? You mean he has people to come in and tell us that our people are dead so they don't have to do it themselves!"

Ford rested his hands on Lucas' shoulders to try and calm the rage pouring out of the teen. With rank came responsibility, and Ford knew Noyce would deliver the bad news personally if there was any to give. Ford also knew that trying to get Lucas to understand this in his current frame of mind would be nigh to impossible.

So Ford settled on the simple, "They would tell us, Lucas."

"Would they?" Lucas eyes were red but Ford had yet to see a tear fall.

"Noyce knows how much you care about the captain."

"But they aren't telling us anything," Lonnie said in a small, shaky voice.

"There may be nothing to report."

"You don't believe that," came the accusation from the teen in front of him.

"I have to," Ford whispered then he returned to his vigil at the window.

* * *

Kristin Westphalen was irate as a trio of armed guards wheeled her down the hallway. Noyce had made a grand gesture of gaining permission for her to see Nathan but had then been called away. So she had not gotten her visit. Instead, she was just put in the chair and given no information other than she was needed in the courtroom. Kristin seethed and resolved that she would rip that man a new orifice the next time she saw him.

She immediately shoved her hand onto the wheel to stop her forward motion when she noticed Ford and Lucas stepping out of a waiting room.

"Doc!" Lucas hurried to her side only to be stopped by a raised rifle.

Kristin slapped the guard's arm. "Oh for Gods sake, lower your weapon!"

Lucas knelt and gave her a tight hug. She exhaled shakily as he squeezed her injured ribs. He pulled away quickly, horrified.

"No, no, it's ok. Just some bruises," she soothed. "Nothing to worry about."

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Lucas gushed as she flattened a hand against his face.

"I'm going to be fine." She looked up at Ford and saw the hesitation in his eyes.

"Ma'am, we need to go," the security guard said gently but Kristin shot him a withering look.

"I'll go when I'm damn good and ready," she growled and returned her attention to Ford.

"I'm glad I'm not in his shoes," Ford quipped, which drew a small smile from Kristin.

"They want me to testify." She rolled her eyes.

"So soon?"

"I'm well enough and so is Frank." She looked around but didn't see the other scientist. "I'm guessing they're taking us via different routes."

Ford lowered his head. "Wish we'd thought of that."

Kristin reached out and touched his hand. Her other slid down into Lucas' and she squeezed it tightly. "You two take care of each other. And when that stubborn old mule wakes up, I want you to give him a kick in the shins for me."

Lucas' eyes lit briefly. "The cap?"

"He'll make it, Lucas," Kristin said with as much conviction as she could muster. "Because if he doesn't, I'm going to wring his bloody neck."

Ford chuckled and Lucas leaned down to hug her and then stepped back so they could continue on their way. When the two men were out of view, Kristin leaned back in her chair and stared at the white walls passing slowly by.

"That's a promise I intend to keep, Nathan Bridger, so don't you die before I get back here," Kristin whispered as they entered the service elevator and began their descent into the parking structure.

TBC

* * *

What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know!


	10. Chapter 9

Happy early 4th, everyone!

I think readers will either love or hate this chapter . . . Remember, there are 13 total, so there are 4 more to go . . . :)

**Chapter 9**

A day later, the flurry of activity surrounding the UEO Naval Hospital had only increased. Media approached anyone entering or leaving the facility, but so far, the gag order had been respected.

Admiral Noyce sat in his office and glanced down at the color-coded files lying on the desk, files containing the names of the men and women who had died on the dock. To one side was a vid-screen that constantly replayed what the media knew about the trial and their small snippets of reports on the condition of the surviving members of seaQuest's security.

Noyce tried to tune out Storm Torndyke's running commentary as he flipped open one of the files.

"_There is very little coming out of the UEO Naval Hospital where, among others, seaQuest Captain Nathan Bridger lies in critical condition after a horrifyingly successful terrorist attack."_

Noyce's eyes scanned the file in his hands and fell on the enlistment photo pinned to the corner of the first page.

"He was only a kid. Barely 21 years old." Noyce turned a steely eyed gaze on the vid-screen where EarthNet news displayed a stock image of Nathan.

"_The attack killed an unknown number of seaQuest's own security team as well as UEO security and several scientists being escorted to testify in the UEO sanctioned trial against the South American Confederation. There has been no confirmation that the SAC had any hand in the attacks."_

"Of course there wouldn't be," Noyce muttered, then glanced up when there was a knock on his door. He closed and flattened his hands atop the file when Jonathan Ford, followed Tony Piccolo and Tim O'Neill walked in.

"Gentlemen," Noyce waved them into the room.

Ford inclined his head respectfully. "Sir."

"I've got an assignment for you." Noyce extended his hand for them to sit.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "What kind of assignment? We got people lyin' in hospital beds-"

Ford sent him a silencing look and the younger man closed his mouth. Noyce would have grinned if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"I need you to take seaQuest into South American Confederation waters and destroy a chemical weapon manufacturing facility."

The surprise on Ford's face would have been amusing at any other time. "Chemical weapons, sir?"

"Yes."

"Weren't those outlawed?" O'Neill asked as he exchanged a disbelieving look with Piccolo.

"Well, the Confederation is on the verge of losing this trial, and we think when they do, they're going to exact some deadly retribution."

"That don't sound good," Tony murmured.

"We have the layout of the building. Everything you'll need to drop a nuke into the heart of the facility."

"A – nuke, sir?" Ford's eyes widened to saucer-like proportions. "You're authorizing seaQuest to fire nuclear weapons?"

Noyce held up his hands as they all began to protest at once. "Gentlemen, please."

They quieted, but not before exchanging horrified, incredulous looks with one another.

"I just returned from an emergency session with every member Confederation, and the decision was not lightly made."

"You can't be serious, sir," Ford breathed.

"A precise hit on the facility with just a strong enough bomb to eradicate all traces of the chemical was deemed an acceptable risk." Noyce knew this would be a hard sell, but Ford was a career military man. He wouldn't disobey orders. The Admiral found himself suddenly glad it wasn't Nathan he was giving these orders to, but then felt a sharp pang of regret when he realized just why his old friend wasn't standing here now to receive them.

"What about the people?" O'Neill asked, his eyes darting between Ford and Noyce.

"Yeah, you're gonna kill everything in the area with a nuke," Piccolo added with a scowl.

Noyce sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. "It was considered and deemed an acceptable loss."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Piccolo's voice reverberated off the walls.

Ford didn't even attempt to calm him. "You realize this could start a nuclear war?"

Noyce flattened his hands on his desk. "Every member Confederation has been placed on alert and-"

"Admiral," Ford began with a shake of his head. "This is how the Livingston Trench incident began. With us flexing our mighty muscle. And now you want the UEO's most powerful submarine, its flagship, to sail right into hostile waters and fire a nuclear missile into the heart of a _member_ Confederation?"

"They aren't going to be a member for long, Commander."

Ford shook his head and took a step back. "This is insane."

For a moment, Noyce thought he was looking into the argumentative face of Nathan Bridger. His friend had left his mark on his people that was for damn sure. Noyce was both proud and irritated.

"I can't do this," Ford murmured and the sentiment was echoed by his two subordinates.

"You aren't being asked, Commander," Noyce said as he straightened his shoulders. "You're being ordered. You leave tomorrow at 0600."

* * *

President Vargas slammed his fist onto his desk. "How long before we're ready?"

Marquand finished his business with a subordinate and turned toward his superior a calm look on his face. "It will take time to move the materials. We've discovered containment to be difficult."

"You mean to tell me you've created the perfect weapon and we have no way to transport it?"

"No way to _deliver_ it, sir," Marquand corrected respectfully. "Additional testing has determined that the substance is unstable in cold climates and as such cannot be transported by normal delivery methods."

"You can't put hot packs around the containers?" Vargas was red-faced and Marquand considered simply waiting until the man had a heart attack before making his next move.

"No, sir. They cause an unstable reaction with the chemicals themselves."

"So we have this perfect weapon and we have to hand carry it to our enemies doorstep?" Vargas thrust out a gloved hand and knocked a vase off a nearby shelf. It shattered loudly on the hard marble floor.

"As it stands right now? Yes, sir."

"I want to be able to deliver it on the back of a missile, General," Vargas pointed a finger at the larger man. "You find out how we can do that before the UEO issues an order to embargo our Confederation."

* * *

Lucas' head lolled to the side and his eyes drooped as he stared at the monitors displaying Nathan Bridger's pulse and oxygen rate. After a long, loud fight with the doctors and the nurses who refused to let anyone but family sit by the man's bedside, he had finally been escorted into the room. It didn't matter if he'd had to lie about being the captain's son. He figured the doctors and nurses knew but had finally acquiesced anyway just to get him to stop making a scene in the middle of the hallway.

The captain's prognosis was still not good. Lucas didn't understand all the medical jargon but it was pretty apparent just by looking at all the tubes and machines attached to the man that his condition was serious. Lucas wanted to make sure that if the man whom he loved like a father was going to die, it wouldn't be alone in an unfamiliar hospital bed.

Lucas shook his head and stood up to walk out the stiffness in his limbs. He'd slept in the chair but he might as well have been sleeping in a torpedo tube for all the comfort it provided. He looked out the window, at the crowd of news media still parked below waiting for a story, then glanced back at the captain. The unconscious man was breathing deeply but even Bridger's tan couldn't hide the pale pallor that had seeped into his skin.

With a sad sigh, Lucas returned to the uncomfortable chair and folded his legs beneath him. He reached out and curled his fingers around the cold hand that rested atop the blanket.

"You'd better not die, you hear me?" His voice sounded strange even to his ears. He hadn't shed a tear but his voice was as hoarse as if he'd been crying all night long.

He didn't hear the door swing open slowly or see the small form that drew close to his side until he felt the hand fall to his shoulder. Lucas' head snapped up and he exhaled a relieved breath when Kristin embraced him tightly.

"Where have you been?" His voice was muffled against her shoulder. He tightened his arms around her until she inhaled sharply and he dropped his arms away completely.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The horror on his face was evident and she reassuringly reached out and touched his shoulder.

"It's ok. I'm still a little sore but I'll mend."

Lucas leapt out of his chair and offered it to her and she took it with a small smile. "How'd you get in?"

She was smug as she answered. "A short but very satisfying argument with the desk nurse."

Lucas laughed and leaned down to hug her again, albeit more gently this time before revealing, "I had one of my own."

Kristin cocked her head at him even as she reached out and curled a hand over the tan one lying on the bed. "Oh?"

"They wouldn't let anyone but family in."

Kristin grinned and held up her hand. A gold ring gleamed on her finger. "I told them I was his wife." She cocked her head and looked down at Nathan. "I'm not sure they believed me."

Lucas laughed and didn't even bother to ask where she'd gotten the ring. "I told them I was his son." He shrugged. "They knew I was lying."

Kristin smiled sadly at the man lying in the bed. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Lucas' somber mood returned as he pulled up another chair to sit beside her. "How bad is he, really?"

He noticed her take a deep breath before lifting her gaze to his. "He lived through the surgery so that's a good sign."

"And?" Lucas prompted. There was more she wasn't telling him. "I'm an adult you know. I can take it."

Her head swiveled toward him, one neatly manicured brow raising high on her forehead.

"Well, ok, almost," he recanted. "Please tell me."

Kristin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "He got hit three times in the chest, Lucas. He should be dead." Her gaze shifted back toward the captain and his chest clenched tightly at the sadness in her eyes. "The shoulder wound should heal fine. The burns from the blast were severe but not life threatening." He could hear her voice tremble even as she struggled with the professional clinical diagnosis. "One shot collapsed his lung, the other a kidney. There was a lot of internal bleeding, but they were able to stop it."

Lucas took a deep breath. "Ya think he can hear us?"

He watched her eyes flicker over the captain's face, to the machines overhead and down to their joined hands.

"I'm sure he can." She offered the teen a small smile. It was meant to comfort and encourage but didn't really succeed at either.

With lowered eyes, Lucas confessed, "I haven't been talking much, just sitting here watching those damn machines."

Kristin took his closest hand in her free one and squeezed gently. "Well, then how about we start now?"

Lucas gave her a shaky smile. "I don't really know what to say."

He watched Kristin lean forward with the ease and experience afforded her profession. "You need to wake up, Nathan. You've got a lot of people here who care about you."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Damn right."

Lucas could feel her squeeze his hand, and could see her rubbing her thumb over the captain's. "You got us here. You protected us enough so that we could testify." She took a deep breath and Lucas could see her eyes glaze over with unshed tears. "Because of you, everyone, SeaQuest did its job. It protected us." She reached forward and gently touched her fingers to his cheek. "You told me you would."

Lucas pursed his lips and wondered just how much she had to struggle to keep the tears at bay. But as he watched, she swallowed thickly, took a deep breath, and continued.

"You'd better wake up because I've got a lot of things to say and you need to be awake to hear them."

Lucas leaned forward and took advantage of the following silence to say something of his own. "Yeah, Cap, we got a lot to say and it's kinda pointless if you're unconscious."

Kristin squeezed Lucas' hand, then released it and wrapped her arm around him. She hugged him tightly and then leaned back to look at his pale face. "Why don't you go get something to eat and," she glanced down at the man in the bed, "as much as he'd argue with me, have some coffee."

Lucas chuckled and stood. "I'm really not too young for the stuff."

Kristin shook her head and gazed lovingly down at the captain's peaceful face. "I'm not sure if it's the potency or the cost that he objects to more." She leaned back and shooed him away. "Now scoot." She returned her attention to her charge and lifted his hand to her lips. "He's in good hands."

Lucas swallowed around the lump in his throat. "Yeah, he is." He hurried out of the room but stopped at the door and turned back to mutter a quick, "I'll be back soon."

* * *

Admiral Noyce looked up from his paperwork and scowled as he listened to the streaming news report. He'd heard the same thing over and over now, mostly because the press wasn't being given any new information, and it was getting old.

He reached out and touched a control on his desk. It chimed once and then a female voice answered. "Sir?"

"I want to know if there is any change."

"The hospital said they would call you immediately," his assistant responded. Noyce knew he'd been a bear to work for in the last day and he didn't think things would be changing any time soon, so he tried to reply gently.

"Thank you. Send McGath in as soon as he arrives." He clicked off the link and looked down at the folders lying on his desk but his head shot up when he heard the continuing report on the vid screen.

"_SeaQuest remains docked as several members of its command crew still lay in critical condition at NCQ Naval. Their exact condition has not been released but we do know that next of kin have been notified. They began arriving this morning by UEO jet."_

Noyce groaned as the camera panned from Storm Thorndyke to several civilians exiting UEO hummers and being escorted into the hospital.

"_We will continue to try and obtain information on the condition of the survivors but the UEO has issued a gag order surrounding this incident and accurate information is sketchy at best."_

"You can see how my day has gone so far," McGath said as he walked into Noyce's office, his eyes immediately glued to the vid screen.

Noyce stood respectfully until waved back into his seat by his superior.

"You can imagine how difficult it is to explain to next of kin that their brother, sister, son, daughter has died and the circumstances surrounding that death is classified." McGath settled into a chair opposite Noyce's desk and leaned back with a heavy sigh.

"I don't envy you that duty," Noyce admitted as he closed the open file beneath his hands.

McGath noticed the pile and indicated them with an incline of his head. "The files of the deceased?"

Noyce nodded. "And the living. I want to recommend the enlisted for the Medal of Honor, the civilians for the Medal of Freedom." He flattened his hand on the stack of folders. "I've prepared all the documentation required."

McGath nodded immediately. "I'll contact the President and see to it they're all approved."

Their attention was once again diverted by the coverage of the assassination on the dock. Noyce had seen it so many times he knew who had died and who hadn't just by looking at the bodies. He inhaled slowly when the footage focused in on the uniform of a man bearing a UEO naval captain's rank. He wanted to avert his eyes, had wanted to each and every time he saw that video, but it was like a train wreck, and he couldn't look away.

"He's the highest ranking officer injured. They're going to focus on him and on your friendship with him," McGath said gently.

Almost immediately, Thorndyke did just that.

"_Captain Bridger's condition is still unknown but is widely believed to be critical. His close friend Admiral William Noyce has been unavailable for comment."_

Noyce's nose wrinkled with disgust. "We're not giving them anything new so they have to keep replaying the old."

McGath leaned forward. "Still no news?"

"I keep asking, but they keep telling me there has been no change." Noyce exhaled a deep, exhausted sigh. "Janet keeps hounding me for information. He's like a little brother to her."

"Well, Doctor Westphalen has been hounding me." McGath exhaled an exasperated sigh.

Noyce couldn't help but find that amusing. "I guess she moved on to you when she couldn't get a hold of me."

"That's one persistent woman."

"You know they used to date."

McGath's eyebrows rose and Noyce grinned. "Unbelievable, hmm?"

"Not to knock Nathan but, how in the hell did he handle a woman like that?" The disbelief was evident in his voice.

Noyce shrugged and shot his superior a half-hearted grin. "Very carefully?"

"I've read her service record. She's one tough cookie," McGath's praise was appropriately placed. "I assume that's why she was approached with such a classified job opportunity."

Noyce glanced back at the vid screen again; images of the dead and wounded were being displayed alongside whatever information the press had been able to gather about them. "It actually broke them up." Noyce said somberly. "It took him a year before he even told me they'd been involved."

McGath raised a curious eyebrow. "While serving together?"

Noyce shook his head and chuckled lightly. "I asked the same question. But no."

A chime indicated an incoming call and Noyce answered it with an exasperated groan. "Take a message, please."

"Sir," came his secretary's trembling voice. "It's the hospital."

Noyce exchanged a worried look with McGath, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "Put them through."

A very harried looking middle-aged doctor appeared on the vid screen. His scrubs and white jacket hung loosely from his wiry frame.

"Admiral, I'm sorry to interrupt." The doctor looked as tired as he felt.

Noyce waved the man silent. "No, I asked to be notified if there was any change in the conditions of the wounded."

"Yes, sir. We lost another member of seaQuest's security not too long ago. His wounds were just too severe."

Noyce closed his eyes but before he could ask, McGath stepped forward and did it for him. "Who?"

Behind the doctor, a flurry of activity began anew as an alarm echoed through the room. The doctor turned away from the vid screen and Noyce could see him catch the arm of a passing nurse.

"What's going on?"

Noyce barely heard a voice from off screen call out an indistinguishable room number, presumably belonging to another crashing patient.

The doctor returned his attention to the vid screen. "I'm sorry, sir, I've got a patient coding. I need to go. I'll contact you with an update as soon as I can."

Noyce opened his mouth to demand the name of the man who had just died but the link clipped off. With a shaky sigh, he exchanged a worried look with McGath and resisted the urge to get the hospital back on the line.

TBC

* * *

What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know!


	11. Chapter 10

I was feeling generous and am posting this new chapter before the holiday. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 10**

Commander Jonathan Ford walked determinedly through the hospital as the Admiral's words continued to echo inside his head. He'd always been a by the book military man; he took orders and executed them to the best of his ability. But this was one that he wasn't sure he could follow. He didn't know what else to do. He would be court-martialed, or worse, if he disobeyed a direct order from a superior.

Once he reached the critical care desk, he stopped and hoped against hope that the captain would be awake. Jonathan desperately needed to talk to him.

The on duty nurse smiled kindly. "Can I help you?"

"I need to see Captain Bridger."

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, only family is allowed in to see him at this time."

Jonathan set his jaw and straightened his shoulders.

The woman held up a hand, looked him up and down and said, "There's no way you will convince me that you are related."

"Listen, I've got a very important matter-"

She didn't budge an inch but she did notice the rank on his uniform. "He's still unconscious, Commander."

If this woman hadn't been tall, dark haired, and blue eyed, he would have sworn he was butting heads with Kristin Westphalen. Just as he was about to continue his argument, the real Kristin walked around the corner.

"Jonathan?"

The Commander whirled and scooped her up into a tight hug. "Kristin! It's good to see you."

The embrace lingered on much longer than Jonathan intended. In the back of his mind, he figured she probably needed a good hug right about now.

When they parted, he drew back to look at her. She was exhausted, that was easy to see, with dark circles under her eyes standing out against her pale skin.

"How's he doing?" Jonathan finally asked as he held Kristin at arms length.

"Still unconscious. There was a bit of a scare earlier, but he's stable now." Sadness radiated from her weary eyes. "I've been kicked out of the room to go get something to eat. Lucas is sitting with him."

"I'll go with you," Ford said.

She moved aside to allow Ford to fall into step with her. "I'd love the company, thank you."

He followed as Kristin led the way out of the critical care ward and down the hallway.

"How'd you two get in?" Ford finally asked, remembering the Gestapo nurse who wouldn't let him by.

Kristin chuckled again and looked up at him with sheepish eyes. "Well – we lied."

Ford laughed this time, a good, from the belly laugh. "You? No! Really?!"

She playfully slapped at his arm as they walked down the stairwell and toward the commissary.

"Lucas is his son and I'm his wife." Kristin held up her hand and the gold band gleamed in the sliver of sunlight that came through the windows.

Ford smiled knowingly. "I'm sure he wouldn't object in either case."

She stopped, her hand resting on the door handle when they reached the commissary floor. "We've had our differences, Jonathan. And some spectacular fights. But-" she shook her head, pulled open the door and walked through it without finishing her thought.

Jonathan knew what she was going to say anyway. "You wouldn't object either," he finished for her softly.

She didn't look back at him until they reached the commissary. Her eyes lifted to meet his and he was taken aback by the depth of sadness in them. "I've grown quite accustomed to that roll today." She took a tray, filled it with food, and waited for him to join her.

"Do you mind if we sit somewhere – private?" Jonathan asked as they walked, trays in hand, from the cashier. He could feel her scrutinizing gaze but didn't want to say more until they were in as private a location as could be found in a public hospital. When she pointed to a table strategically placed in a corner nook of the room, he nodded and followed her over to it.

Once seated, she laid her elbows on the table, food forgotten and asked, "What is it, Jonathan?"

Ford chuckled wryly. "You always know, don't you?"

She grinned smugly and Ford understood just what fascinated and annoyed Nathan Bridger about this woman. Kristin cocked her head and waited for him to answer. When he wasn't quick enough, she prodded a bit more. This time, her smile faltered a bit.

"Is it about Nathan?"

The name drew Jonathan out of his internal assessment of the woman sitting opposite him. "Oh, no. Well, unless it was for me to wish he was awake so I could talk to him, anyway."

Kristin glanced down her food but made no motion to touch it. "We all wish that were the case, Jonathan."

He remained silent for another moment until her hand came down over his wrist.

"What is it?"

"I need his advice so badly, Kristin." It was difficult to keep the desperation out of his voice. "I need him to wake up and tell me what to do."

He could see in her eyes that his confession sparked a concern and curiosity that he'd come to discover was inherent in her nature.

She squeezed his wrist. "What's wrong Jonathan? Can I help?"

He leaned forward and whispered, "They want me to take seaQuest out and nuke the facility intel says is housing some dangerous weapon."

If Jonathan hadn't been sitting, he'd have been blown over by the vehemence in her tone.

"What?!" she hissed, her eyes wider than he'd ever seen them. "Are they crazy? Have they completely fallen off their rocker?!"

"That's what I tried to tell him."

"Who?"

"Admiral Noyce."

Kristin's jaw fell further toward the table, if that was even possible. "He – he authorized this?"

Jonathan nodded despairingly. "Made it an order from the UEO Secretary General's office."

"Oh my god." Food now forgotten, Kristin looked around the room. Her eyes focused on nothing, but Ford knew her well enough to know that her brilliant mind was working frantically to come up with something to say.

"My career will be over if I disobey a direct order," Ford confessed sadly. "I've worked so hard to make something of myself. But – this is wrong. It _has_ to be wrong." He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, Kristin was staring right at him. "The captain would never do it."

Kristin shook her head. "Absolutely, he wouldn't."

"Even to protect the rest of the world?" Jonathan took a sip of water before continuing. "If the destruction of one small area-"

"More than that," Kristin muttered loudly, "when the radiation from a nuclear explosion spreads-"

Ford shook his head. "If it can potentially save a great many more lives, aren't we obligated to-"

"As determined by whom, exactly?" Kristin interrupted yet again, and when Ford didn't respond quickly enough, she barreled on. "I've been researching this chemical agent they've created. I testified to its existence, as a matter of fact. It's horrible and completely resistant to any anti-toxin whatsoever but does that knowledge justify the use of the worlds greatest and most deadly weapon ever created to eradicate it?" She shook her head and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were wide and her chest was heaving with anger. "Do the ends justify the means?"

"I don't know," Jonathan admitted with a defeated sigh. "I'm not a scientist or a philosopher. I don't know how to counter such an order, nor do I have the authority."

"Do you realize that in order to completely neutralize this chemical, you will need to incinerate it before any gasses are released into the atmosphere?" She took a breath and continued. "That means as precise a drop on the target as you can get and with enough destructive power behind the delivery."

"That's why seaQuest is being ordered to deliver the payload."

"There has to be another way," Kristin breathed. "I can't believe the UEO-"

"Noyce said every member nation voted in favor."

"Oh, of course they did," Kristin ripped a piece of her toast and shoved it into her mouth. She washed it down with a swig of coffee before continuing. "None of the member nations are anywhere near that facility. But they have to know that depending on the wind patterns, the resulting radiation could spread across thousands of miles." She shook her head and took another sip of coffee. Ford couldn't help but want to take it from her. She was wired enough, and she really wasn't making him feel better.

"This could potentially harm – bloody hell, it doesn't matter which direction the winds are blowing, the radiation will kill everything in its path until the cloud settles into the ground and decays – and for some of the elements that make up a nuclear weapon, that could be a very long time."

"They felt it was an acceptable risk."

Kristin's head fell into her hands. It was an unbelievable situation that he knew she couldn't solve. The captain couldn't solve it either, but Ford had always been able to use the man as a sounding board, a confidant, when it came to a particularly tough decision. He just simply had the wisdom that came with age and experience.

"I'm sorry, I needed someone to talk to," Jonathan confessed with a sigh. "Now you know why I was hoping the captain was awake."

Her head popped out of her hands and she shook her head in disagreement. "No I'm glad he's not awake to hear this. It would give him palpitations."

"If I resign, they'll just find someone else to carry out the order."

Kristin shot him a withering look that made him want to melt into the chair. "I think you are the perfect man for this job, Commander." She stood and he stared at her with a completely flabbergasted look on his face. "Don't resign. I'm going to help you find a way around obeying that order."

* * *

When Kristin returned to Nathan's room, she had regained control of herself – at least on the outside. She desperately wanted, to stay by Nathan's side, but due to Jonathan's dilemma, she was needed back on seaQuest. She would absolutely need to ship out with the crew in the morning.

Lucas looked up when she entered and immediately smiled.

"He moved! Just a bit, but he moved!"

Kristin snatched his chart out of its bin and flipped it open. Her eyes scanned the notes for a brief period before she rolled over a chair and sat on the bed's other side. She reached out and slid her hand into Nathan's before looking up at Lucas again. "It may have been a nerve or muscle tremor. It happens in comatose patients."

Lucas shook his head in disagreement. "That's what the doctors said. But I know what I saw. His eyes moved."

Kristin smiled patiently. Lucas was worried, nervous, and he wasn't going to listen to what any doctor had to say unless it was something positive.

"His body just needs time to recover, Lucas," Kristin said softly, a tender look on her face as her eyes shifted from the teen to the man who meant more to her than she'd ever admitted.

"How longs that gonna take?"

Kristin grinned wryly at his impatience. "As long as it takes, I'm afraid."

Lucas scowled and Kristin turned her full attention to him. It was better to get this over with now then to delay it.

"Listen, Lucas, I need to leave for a bit so I need you to take care of Nathan for me."

He was shaken for a moment, but it wasn't long before he recovered. "What? Where you going?"

"I – can't tell you."

"It have to do with this trial? Your testimony?"

"Lucas . . ." She didn't dare say anymore. He was a bright kid, it wouldn't take much for him to see through whatever story she tried to concoct.

She was surprised when Lucas didn't fight her on it.

"What do I tell him if he wakes up and you're not here?"

Kristin smiled warmly. _"When_ he wakes up, you tell him I miss him and I'll be back soon." Her eyes twinkled as she stood and leaned over the bed. "I'd tell you to give him this for me, but, he'd probably look at you funny." She dipped her head and brushed her mouth ever so gently across his. There was no reaction. She didn't expect there to be.

When she turned back to Lucas, he was staring at her with a disturbed look on his face. "I think I won't pass on _that_ particular message but the rest I can do."

Kristin nodded and slid closer to the patient. "Could you give me a few minutes, Lucas?"

The suggestive grin he tried to hide as he got out of his chair and made his way toward the door would have made her flush with embarrassment if the captain had been anything but unconscious in the bed in front of her.

When Lucas had gone, she slid even closer and brought the hand she held to her lips. She kissed his fingers, rubbed them and then closed her eyes with his palm pressed against her cheek.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this, but I'm glad you're not awake to see what's happening." She reached out with her free hand and brushed her fingers across his stubbled cheek. "I know how you'd react if you knew what was going on and it wouldn't be pretty." She chuckled lightly. "But at least you have the rank to try and reason with these idiots. Commander Ford just doesn't have the authority."

She laid her head down on his hand. "So I need to go and try to help him with this. You rest because there's something very important I need to tell you and I'll be damned if I have to keep it in for much longer."

"I could project it if you like."

Kristin whirled at the voice to find Wendy Smith walking into the room, a small smile on her face.

"I'd appreciate being warned that someone was listening to my private conversation," Kristin snapped, a bit more harshly than she intended.

"I was just coming to check on him. You were so engrossed, I didn't want to interrupt." Wendy's voice was soft, sheepishly so, and Kristin relaxed.

Kristin returned her eyes to the man lying in the bed. "I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge."

Wendy and stopped at the foot of the bed and stared down at their joined hands. "It's to be expected with everything that's happened."

"I suppose," Kristin whispered. She didn't exactly feel comfortable in this woman's presence, but she didn't feel uncomfortable either.

"My offer still stands, however. If you want me to project a thought into his mind, I can try."

"That's dangerous," Kristin responded quickly. "Over stimulation while his body is trying to heal itself could cause more damage." She turned accusing eyes on her colleague. "You should know that."

Wendy lowered her eyes to the bed. "It's not that large of a risk, really. I wouldn't push hard."

Anger flared in Kristin's eyes and she clutched Nathan's hand protectively. "You're not going to push at all."

Wendy visibly recoiled and the way her eyes scanned Nathan's peaceful face caused a new level of irritation to bubble to the surface of Kristin's thoughts.

"He's very lucky to have such close friends," Wendy said quietly. She lifted her gaze to Kristin. "You were very well liked on seaQuest, Doctor Westphalen. Your shoes have been very difficult ones to fill."

Kristin offered a cool, professional smile. "I'm sure you've managed adequately, Doctor Smith."

After a few moments of silence, Kristin asked, impatient to continue her time alone with Nathan. "Was there something else you wanted?"

Kristin could detect the hesitation before Wendy decided to speak. "I've been asked by the UEO to offer my services to anyone involved in the attacks – should they be needed. I'm a medical doctor but my primary area of expertise is parapsychology."

Kristin almost laughed. "A psychiatric evaluation?"

"Yes. If requested."

Kristin chuckled wryly. "I'm sure I'll need one when this is all over, but right now, I'm perfectly fine, Doctor."

"I'm here if you need me." Wendy hesitated again and Kristin's head swiveled back to look at the younger woman. "I anticipate they'll make it an order to those who don't volunteer."

Kristin exhaled loudly. "I have no doubt."

"I'll let you get back to your vigil. I just wanted to see how he was doing." Wendy moved toward the door but Kristin didn't pay her any more attention.

"I'll give him your message if he wakes up while you're away."

Kristin's head snapped toward the doorway but the woman was gone. She shook her head and glanced back down at the man lying in front of her. "No one is going to give you that message but me."

* * *

The next morning, seaQuest disembarked at its designated time with half its normal complement of crew. Jonathan felt increasingly uncomfortable commanding the UEO's flagship on this assignment, and his bridge crew had given him very strange and confused looks when he ordered them to set course for the southern coast of the South American Confederation at maximum depth and speed.

He walked the corridors now, headed toward the science decks. Kristin had taken over the place just as she'd done on her first tour. But this time, he wasn't in any way irritated with how she conducted her work.

Wendy Smith had stayed on staff at UEO Naval, probably more for personal reasons than to continue to care for seaQuest's critically injured. And Ford didn't really want to think too much about what those reasons may be. Even though rumors about her relationship with the captain turned out not to be true, he was relatively certain there was something one-sided going on. Well, that, and she just didn't have Kristin's scientific qualifications.

But Noyce had approved the transfer and Ford was grateful. It would actually do his stress level some good for a change to be working with the committed woman. If only Noyce knew what having Kristin on board would do to the UEO's plans to nuke that chemical weapon's facility.

When Ford arrived in the lab, he watched in rapt fascination as Kristin worked her way around the tables, syringes, slides, and other equipment with the ease of a practiced scientist.

"Stupid, stupid people," she muttered as she examined a slide. "I'm amazed we haven't blown ourselves back to the stone age by now."

Ford had to grin. At one time, he'd have found her an unnecessary nuisance, but he'd grown to respect her intelligence and her method of getting things done. The captain had drilled it into him not with words, but by his actions. He treated every member of his crew equally, listened to and acted on their complaints as if he, personally, was responsible for them.

Ford was startled out of his thoughts when she glanced up, looking at him over the rim of her glasses.

"Was there something you needed, Commander?" Kristin asked her English brogue a bit deeper as exhaustion settled heavily on her shoulders.

He didn't imagine she'd slept well last night. He certainly hadn't. And he knew she'd spent the entire night at the hospital.

"Just coming to check on your progress. Our eta is twelve hours."

He winced when she pushed her glasses off the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Oh yes, that's a lot of time to come up with a way of eradicating a chemical weapon of this ferocity without the aid of the nuclear kind of incineration."

Ford winced. "Sorry."

Kristin shook her head and motioned for him to enter. She clicked on the wall vid screen and he looked at it with interest though it didn't make much sense to him.

"I've got small samples of this chemical that I was able to extract from the one victim we had the opportunity to examine. I've tried to neutralize it but it isn't manufactured from any common agents." Kristin shook her head and Ford could see the stress in her pale face. "Mustard agents could be neutralized by hot water, nerve agents by sodium hydroxide. I've even tried the old method of gasoline and napalm. This stuff just doesn't break down."

Ford took a seat and watched her work. After a while, he remembered something. "Didn't you say that this chemical was derived from the waste the South American Confederation was dumping into the oceans?"

Kristin shot him a quizzical look. "Yes."

"Could the solution be found in some of the contaminated sea life?"

Kristin hesitated for a moment and Ford could tell she was considering the possibility. "Yes, it could be. That was the first thing we tested but it's possible that we missed something. Our original findings were inconclusive and then we were dragged off the facility to testify." She spread a drop of liquid on a slide and hurried to the microscope, completely immersed in her research once again.

Ford found her dedication awe inspiring and quickly exited the room, hoping the brilliant scientist would be able to figure it out before they reached their destination.

TBC

* * *

What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know!


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes**: Lynnp – There was no mention of the crashing patient from Chapter 9 in Chapter 10 because it wasn't relevant to what was happening. That was a scene simply meant to add a little extra tension to the end of that chapter.

**Chapter 11**

The return to consciousness was a long, slow process and when Nathan Bridger finally opened his eyes, he squinted into the bright light that streamed into the room through the open curtains.

He lay still for a few minutes as the fog slowly filtered out of his mind and a waking awareness took its place. His eyes slowly scanned the room, though without moving his head he couldn't see much. After a few minutes, his head lolled to one side and his eyes automatically fell on the dishwater blond head lying just out of reach on the bed.

Nathan tried to speak but his mouth was dry and his lips were parched. He inhaled deeply of the fresh oxygen that flowed through the thin tube across his face and welcomed it for a brief moment before he began to cough. He winced and slid his hand up his chest to stop the pain.

When Lucas' head shot up and his eyes widened to saucer-like proportions, Nathan chuckled – and then started to cough all over again.

"Captain!" Lucas cried excitedly. No sooner had the teen pressed the button that would call the nurse to the room, did one show up, a doctor on her heels.

"Well, Captain Bridger, good of you to join us," the doctor said as he began to examine the equipment monitoring the man's condition. "You gave everyone quite a scare."

Nathan swallowed thickly before his eyes settled on Lucas. "What – happened?"

Lucas exchanged a concerned look with the doctor, which Nathan noted.

"You don't – remember?"

Nathan chuckled, and then immediately regretted it as his chest pulled uncomfortably. He took a few deep breaths and then whispered, "Oh, I remember being shot." He glanced down at his chest. "Multiple times."

"You've had a series of successful surgeries to repair a collapsed lung, punctured kidney and various other injuries."

Nathan's eyes slipped toward the doctor and he tried to concentrate on what the man was saying. He could feel himself weakening, could feel whatever the nurse just pushed through his IV start to take effect.

Lucas was saying something but Nathan felt so very far away, until he remembered what had drawn him back; the piercing sound of an explosion surrounded by a dozen different screams and a small fiery-tempered red-head lying motionless beneath him.

He fought the numbing effect of the drugs and forced a name out of his parched mouth. "Kristin?"

He squinted against his drooping eyelids and saw Lucas smile, heard him answer that she was okay and that was enough. He relaxed into the soft downy cloud his mattress had suddenly become and fell back into a drug-induced slumber.

* * *

"Sir, we're four hours out from our destination," Lonnie Henderson said as Ford turned and met her announcement with a curt nod.

"Thank you, Lonnie."

Ford returned to the captain's chair and sat looking at the console, something he'd been doing since he'd arrived on the bridge.

Lonnie leaned over to Tony Piccolo. "What's going on?"

Tony didn't answer.

"We just left Lucas and Wendy behind. I wonder why?" Lonnie kept her question to a whisper so that the Commander didn't overhear.

They both looked over when Dagwood ambled onto the bridge. His mood was just was melancholy as the rest, but he didn't possess the mental faculties to understand a tactful conversation. So they watched as he stopped beside the Commander and looked down at him.

Lonnie and Piccolo exchanged an amused look but wiped the smiles off their faces when Ford's eyes slid up to Dagwood's.

"What is it, Dagwood?"

"Just wondering." He kicked his foot shyly along the grating beneath him, "if you know how the others are doing?"

Ford shook his head tiredly and Lonnie sympathized. He looked as tired as she felt. "I don't know, Dagwood."

"Can't you find out?"

"As soon as we have a chance to call for an update, we will."

Dagwood looked hopefully over at O'Neill. "We aren't doing anything right now."

O'Neill swiveled in his seat and answered the GELF. "Yes, we are. We're sailing at a depth that would require a telecommunication's array to be perfectly aligned so that we could get a transmission back to UEO HQ."

"Oh." Dagwood ducked his head and went about his business only a few minutes later responding with a slow, "I think they're ok, though."

"I hope you're right, Dagwood," Lonnie smiled at him before turning her attention to Ford when he called her name.

"Sir?"

"Once we've reached the coordinates, we are going to rise to firing depth."

Lonnie's heart thudded sharply in her chest and she exchanged a worried look with Piccolo. They wouldn't have to rise to firing depth if they were going to be unloading a normal payload on an undersea target.

"Sir-" She was afraid to ask.

But Ford had turned to weapons. "Once at firing depth, you will transfer weapons control to my station."

Lonnie's hand began to tremble and Piccolo leaned over and covered it with his. Ford continued to issue instructions, but his voice faded away as she turned toward Piccolo.

"Is he ordering what I think he's -"

Piccolo's eyes shifted from Ford back to Lonnie. "Yeah."

Lonnie sank into her seat, a look of genuine fear on her face. "Oh God."

* * *

The next time Nathan woke, his head was much clearer. His body still ached, but it was only dull throbbing now, numbed by the pain medication. An excited Lucas greeted him the moment he opened his eyes.

"Hey, kiddo," he whispered as his eyes scanned what little of the room he could see without moving his head. "Where is everyone?"

Before Lucas could answer, Wendy Smith walked in, a genuine smile on her face. "Good to see you awake, Nathan."

He took a chance and moved his head. When it didn't pull uncomfortably, he shifted it even further to one side. "How long have I been out?"

Lucas held up a glass and positioned the straw at his lips. Nathan smiled gratefully as he took a few sips to wet his pallet.

"A few days," Wendy answered and moved to his side to check the monitors. To Lucas, she admonished, "Not too much now. His system needs to get used to liquids again."

'Days?" Nathan coughed for a moment and then raised his hand when two sets of eyes shifted toward him in concern. "I'm fine. Days? Where is everyone?" He couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment when he noticed Kristin was no where in sight.

"Gone," Lucas said sadly and Nathan caught the silencing glare Wendy threw in the teen's direction.

"Where? Gone? What do you mean?" His heart rate rose, as did his voice.

"You need to calm down, Captain," Wendy said, touching her fingers to his wrist.

He ignored her and stared at Lucas. "Gone where?"

"They sent seaQuest out."

Nathan's brow furrowed. "Out where?"

Lucas frowned before responding with a glance in Wendy's direction. "They wouldn't say."

Nathan's head lolled toward Wendy. "Where?"

The woman shrugged and he didn't need to be psychic to tell she was lying. He squeezed Lucas' hand. "Can you excuse us for a minute, kiddo? I need to talk with Wendy."

The teen hesitated but eventually acquiesced. Once he was gone, Nathan's eyes hardened. "Where did they go? And why aren't you with them? Or Lucas, for that matter?"

"Admiral Noyce felt it better that Lucas stayed here with you. I'm here because I'm your CMO."

"There are plenty of doctors here that can look after me. If seaQuest's put to the waters again, she needs her medical chief."

"Doctor Westphalen went with them."

He detected a small hint of resentment in her voice at the mention of Kristin's name but didn't dwell on it. He was more concerned that his former CMO was on seaQuest, and in what capacity.

"Why? Is she ok? She wasn't hurt-"

Wendy rolled her eyes. "You need to calm down. Her wounds were minor. She testified and then was released to seaQuest."

"Why?"

"Commander Ford requested permission to appoint her head of the science staff for this assignment."

"And what assignment is that?"

Wendy didn't answer and Nathan could feel his agitation growing. "What aren't you telling me?"

"She can't, Nathan," Admiral Noyce walked in and dismissed Wendy with a nod of his head. "Thank you Doctor. I'll call if your assistance is needed."

Nathan turned his full attention on his old friend and didn't even watch Wendy leave the room.

"Bill. . . "

"It's good to see you awake, my friend. You gave us quite a scare."

In the back of his mind, Nathan remembered that he should ask about the status of his crew, but there was an overwhelming nagging that overrode that request.

"Bill, why is Kristin-"

"Now Nathan, you've been out of it for the last few days."

Blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where are they going?"

Nathan noted that the man didn't answer his question. "And you have to understand that some important decisions were made while you've been here."

Nathan had never beaten around the bush with his friend before and he definitely wasn't going to start now. "Where and why, Bill?"

"It's classified."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "You know damn well if I wasn't lying in this bed, I would be on seaQuest right now. You'd better damn well tell me what's going on."

"No – you wouldn't be."

"What?"

"I'm sure you would have resigned over what UEO Command has asked of seaQuest and her crew."

His hands began to tremble ever so slightly. "Bill, why is Kristin on my boat?"

"I agreed to let Ford take her."

"Why?"

"She's a top scientist in her field and has been studying the chemicals the South American Confederation has been developing."

"And?"

"She's on seaQuest right now working on a way to neutralize it."

"Before. . . ?" Nathan prompted. He didn't like the direction this conversation was heading.

"Before seaQuest reaches optimum firing range."

Nathan stared hard at his friend. "You're going to fire on a member confederation?"

"Their membership was revoked this morning. They've been thrown out of the UEO and we've got carriers on the way to enforce the embargo."

"Then why is seaQuest -" Nathan stopped. His eyes scanned Noyce's. "Firing depth . . . optimum range . . . " He pinned his old friend in place with a steely look. "Bill. No."

Noyce raised his hands as if to avoid some fiery onslaught. "The decision was unanimous. The scientist's research indicated that nothing could eradicate this chemical weapon. We've been left with no other option but-"

"Are you out of your damned minds!?" Nathan's voice echoed around the room and the monitors above his head began to chime loudly. "You can't let seaQuest fire a nuclear missile into - well, anywhere! Jonathan, he can't do it. This would kill him. No, you can't order him to do this!" Nathan was agitated now, and the terminal that monitored his vital signs had begun to rise quickly.

A doctor and a nurse hurried into the room and began to examine their patient. All the while Nathan ignored them and continued to rant at his friend.

"Bill, this could start a nuclear war!"

Nathan batted the doctor's hands away as cold fingers touched the bandages around his chest.

Noyce stepped back and let the medical personnel attend to the ranting man. "Nathan, let the doctors. . . "

"Bill, how could you agree to this?!" Nathan's arm twitched when the nurse checked his shoulder wound. "Ow!" But he only briefly glared at the woman before pinning Noyce again. "Kristin is on board for gods sakes!"

"I thought you two were done."

Nathan rolled his eyes and growled, "Only because you've had her at the bottom of the ocean for the last two years!"

Noyce shook his head and Nathan could see, even though he was angrier than he'd been in a long, long time that his friend hadn't agreed with this decision. "You have to stop them, Bill."

"I can't, Nathan. You know that."

The two men glanced at the doctor when he cleared his throat.

"Whatever is agitating Captain Bridger needs to stop, now. His injuries are still quite severe."

"I'll leave," Noyce offered quickly.

"No. You. Will. Not," Nathan demanded with a low growl.

He ignored the look the nurse and doctor exchanged with one another. Bill was in his uniform which clearly indicated he held a higher rank than the man in the bed.

"Bill, you have to find another way!" Out of the corner of his eyes, Nathan saw the doctor nod almost imperceptively to his nurse, but he was so focused on Bill, that his mind didn't put together what had been done until it was too late. Almost immediately, he felt his eyes begin to droop and he turned an accusing glare on the doctor. "What did you do?"

"You need to rest, Captain, and if the only way to get you to do so is to sedate you, then so be it."

"Damnit, you can't do this!" Nathan tried to rise from the bed but the pain that shot through his chest and shoulder prevented any chance of success. His chest tightened and he leaned back to take a few deep breaths, before lifting his head to glare at Noyce. "Bill, please."

"The decision has been made, Nathan. I had no choice."

Horror crossed Nathan's face even has his breathing began to slow. "You delivered the order." It wasn't a question.

The last thing Nathan saw before his eyes fell closed was the regret swimming in his friend's sympathetic gaze.

* * *

Kristin paced in front of the table as she waited for the results of her latest test to come back. She rubbed the back of her neck with a blue gloved hand, trying desperately to relax the muscles that had tightened over the last few days. She'd been working for nearly twelve hours straight and had very little success to show for it.

The time displayed on the wall clock made her sigh heavily. Now she had less than an hour to come up with an alternate solution to using the heat from a nuclear blast to eradicate a chemically engineered weapon.

Her eyes slipped closed and she groaned. Even though her thoughts were consumed with finding a solution to this problem, she found herself thinking every so often about how Nathan and the rest of the seaQuest crew were faring at New Cape Quest.

Miguel Ortiz and their chief of security had been injured fairly badly as well, and she felt a momentary pang of guilt that she'd hadn't seen them before she'd left. She knew Miguel from her first tour, though she'd never spent a great deal of time with him. And, of course, she'd become quite accustomed to having Brody escort her all around seaQuest when the sub had picked her up a few days ago. Her heart doubled over in her chest when she thought about them. She didn't even know if they were still alive.

"You'd better be, Nathan," she murmured to herself. "I'll kill you if you die before I get back there."

A small chime indicated her latest round of testing had been completed. She removed several vials from her test tube tray and began to examine them. One by one, they were discarded until only one was left in her hand. She didn't have any other options and she was certainly out of time; if this one didn't give her the results she needed –

Kristin squinted at the slide when the requisite residue she'd seen on the other slides wasn't present on this one. She mixed more of the compound and then swirled it around, holding her breath as the chemicals merged and then began to disintegrate.

"Thank God!" Kristin hurried to the wall unit and opened a comm. channel. "Commander I need you in med bay immediately!"

"Doctor?" she could hear the hesitant hope in his answering tone.

"I think so, Commander. Just get down here right away!"

She clicked off the unit and returned to her desk, hoping against all hope that the powers that be would delay the nuclear launch long enough for her to manufacture a larger quantity of anti-toxin, something that could be delivered via a less destructive method.

TBC

* * *

What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know.


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes**: Everyone, thanks for your lovely comments and I hope you continue to enjoy as the story winds its way to the end.

**Chapter 12**

Commander Jonathan Ford and Dr. Kristin Westphalen waited for the men on the other end of the vid-screen to speak. Kristin had explained in great detail that she needed a few more hours to manufacture enough of the anti-toxin. To her distress, the men seemed more wary than excited.

"And what if some of the harmful chemical agents escape?" McGath asked.

"We have the anti-toxin. We can manufacture more," Kristin answered quickly.

"And what if they decide to use that weapon while you're making the anti-toxin?" Reginald Jameson asked impatiently.

Kristin's gaze hardened. "Why haven't they released it before now? It's a chance that we'll have to take. It's far more preferable than the alternative now isn't it?"

Jameson appeared aghast at her tone but McGath rested a hand on his arm to prevent another outburst. Both rooms were filled with a tension one couldn't have cut with the sharpest knife.

"And what is the current rate of death if your anti-toxin doesn't eradicate it on the first go?" Jameson's skeptical look caused Kristin to seethe.

"The mortality rate is 100 percent after exposure, but we can neutralize it now if it gets into the ecosystem." Kristin couldn't believe they were even hesitating.

Jameson exchanged a look with McGath which made Kristin wonder just who was making the important decisions. "We'll need to consult-"

"Good, then," Kristin interrupted, impatient with the entire bureaucracy of it all. "While you're _consulting_, I'm going to be manufacturing enough of this anti-toxin to eradicate whatever quantities they have stored in that facility."

"You do that, doctor, we'll be in touch." McGath leaned forward to cut the connection but Kristin stopped him.

Her gaze softened and her voice dropped. "How is Nathan?" It had been too long with no news and she needed to know.

"Awake." McGath terminated the connection before she could inquire further.

Kristin stomped around her lab, seething. "God how I want to punch that man!"

Ford raised an eyebrow. "I know how you feel."

Kristin beat down her annoyance with the military to think briefly about the bit of good news. "At least he's awake. But awake doesn't mean out of danger."

Ford reached out and touched her arm. "I'll get a link with the hospital as soon as I can."

Kristin nodded gratefully. "I'd feel better being able to talk to him myself."

"So would I," Ford muttered.

Kristin shook her head and took a determined breath. "But for now, I've got things to do."

Ford inclined his head in agreement but paused and squeezed her shoulder. "Good work, doctor."

Kristin pushed a hand through her auburn hair. "I hope they come to their senses." She pulled the slide out of the microscope. "Or all the anti-toxin in the world isn't going to make a damn bit of difference when the radiation kills more people than the weapon they are trying to destroy."

Ford nodded solemnly before leaving Kristin to her work.

* * *

"Wendy, you need to get Bill for me. Right now." Nathan Bridger struggled to keep his anger in check. It would do him no good if the doctors came in and sedated him again.

He could see Lucas' worried eyes as the teen sat beside him. Nathan hadn't told the boy anything about why he was so upset. It wouldn't do any good to scare him.

"He's in a closed session with Secretary General Mcgath, Nathan."

Nathan tried another avenue. "Then get me a connection with seaQuest. I need to speak with Jonathan – or Kristin."

Wendy's sympathetic gaze had annoyed him since she first walked in the door, and it was becoming nearly unbearable. "You know I can't do that," she said in an almost patronizing tone.

He did but that didn't stop him from allowing her to see and feel just how disappointed he was that she wouldn't even try. "Just go then." He slipped down into the bed, feigning exhaustion. "I'm tired."

Wendy cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

Nathan closed his eyes. "Goodbye, doctor."

He heard, rather than saw, her say to Lucas. "Keep him out of trouble."

"Yeah," came the teen's hesitant response.

He could hear the door close but kept his eyes shut for a few extra seconds.

"You can open your eyes now. She's gone," Lucas said with a small chuckle.

Nathan leaned toward the teen and whispered conspiratorially, "I need you to get me a connection with seaQuest."

Lucas shook his head. "Captain-"

"I know you can do it."

Lucas' eyes shifted to the medical equipment. "A connection could interfere."

"I'm fine, Lucas," Nathan assured the boy with a squeeze of his hand. "I need to talk to them."

Lucas pulled a small device out of the inside pocket of his jacket and smiled sheepishly. "Good thing I came prepared then, huh?"

Nathan chuckled, but stopped abruptly when the motion pulled uncomfortably at his chest. He waved away Lucas' immediate concern. "I'm fine." He glanced down at the small fist sized computer in the teen's hand. "Just get me that connection."

Lucas nodded, flipped open the console and began to tap furiously at the small keypad. "I'll have to re-route the wireless link through a couple of sat arrays."

Nathan watched him intently for a moment before the teen lifted his head. "It may take a while."

Nathan looked around at the hospital room and a wry grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

General Marquand pushed his great bulk through the throng of people waiting outside the President's office. Inside, the man and his advisors were leaning over maps and pointing at vid-screens positioned around the room. Every head glanced up when he entered and Marquand noted that every one of them looked incredibly worried.

They had cause to be. The UEO had dispatched warships.

"Sanctions have begun," Marquand said as he drew closer to the group.

"We'll see how long those last when we've deployed our weapon," Vargas growled angrily. "How dare they embargo my Confederation!"

Marquand exchanged a look with the two advisors standing quietly beside Vargas and said nothing. They all knew the reasons. Voicing them now would only anger the president even further.

"We're still working on a deployment method, sir," Marquand advised then he raised his hand when the president began to protest. "We have a larger issue on our hands right now."

Marquand lifted a remote and flipped on a large vid-screen in front of them. He searched through a map of the area until he located the one he was looking for.

"The UEO dispatched seaQuest early this morning. She's headed this way." Marquand searched his president's eyes and was surprised to find him strangely calm.

"Any others?" Vargas asked.

"Just carriers that will probably be used for the embargo," Marquand answered truthfully. "There are no sub-surface ships in the area other than seaQuest."

Vargas' eyes betrayed his surprise. "She's here already?"

"Close, a few hundred miles off the southernmost tip of the coast."

"What are they doing?"

Marquand shook his head. "We've had no communication whatsoever. Our comm relays can't detect their precise location. They're probably too deep."

"Then how are you tracking them?"

Marquand grinned smugly. "I've got an operative on board, sir."

Vargas careful control over his temper slipped just a bit. "And they haven't sabotaged the damned ship yet?!"

"I can't exactly communicate and give away our advantage, sir."

"They're knocking at our front door, General!" Vargas' temper finally fractured. "Give away the advantage and sink that ship!"

Marquand smiled knowingly. "Yes, sir."

* * *

O'Neill sat ramrod straight in his chair when his headset chirped with an incoming call. He tapped a few keys and then straightened his glasses as soon as he was given the source. A smile spread across his face and he swiveled in his chair to catch Ford's attention.

"Commander, I've got a call coming in. It's from Captain Bridger, sir!"

Excitement immediately swept through the bridge and everyone looked up at the vid-screen expectantly. Even Ford, a man whose first expression was never a welcoming one, smiled. "Put it on forward vid-screen, Mr. O'Neill."

O'Neill's fingers flew across his controls and then the screen blinked on to show a hospital room, and their scruffy-looking captain sitting up in bed. It was a relief to see his commanding officer alive and well, and very much awake.

"Captain," Ford's greeting was heartfelt and echoed in the faces of everyone else on the bridge. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to be conscious for a change," Bridger said and O'Neill smiled. He wondered if anyone else had woken up, but before he could ask, the captain was speaking again.

"I know what they've asked you to do. Dragging it out of Noyce was like pulling my wisdom teeth without the benefit of a painkiller."

O'Neill's could see the light in Ford's eyes dim a bit. His own skin began to crawl with an unease that he couldn't even begin to explain.

"Captain, I-"

Bridger held up a hand to silence his commander. "You're working on an anti-toxin to combat the chemical, right?"

Ford nodded and color came back into his cheeks. "Doctor Westphalen thinks she's found something and we're waiting to hear back from Command with a decision."

"A decision?" Bridger's brows drew together in an all too familiar look of consternation. "To what? Belay the idiotic order they gave you in the first place?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Get me Kristin, please, Jonathan."

O'Neill's hands were already flying across his console before Ford looked over and gave him the silent signal to carry out the captain's request.

Suddenly, the front vid screen split and Kristin looked up from where she was bent across a lab table. Her eyes met Bridger's over the rim of her glasses and she immediately straightened. A slow grin spread across O'Neill's face as he watched the doctor realize who was on the other end of the call. They'd all been concerned about their shipmates, but the doctor had exhibited a bit more than O'Neill would have called friendly concern for the captain.

"Nathan!" Her enthusiasm and excitement cut through the tension and fear on the bridge. "My God. Are you all right?" The concern in her eyes and the response in the captain's made O'Neill instantly feel that he was intruding on a private moment.

"I'm fine," came the measured response. Bridger looked around and cocked his head. "Well, as fine as I can be trapped in this bed."

O'Neill, and the rest of the bridge, watched her open her mouth and then close it again. Apparently, she was realizing that they were on a public channel and not a private one. O'Neill flushed slightly as he thought about how she would have responded to that comment had the two been having this conversation in private.

The brief moment was gone almost before it started as Bridger asked, "Ford tells me you found something that can counter the chemical agent?"

"I have, but the damned politicians have to decide whether or not to trust that we can get it off before the South American Confederation release the chemical." The frustration in Kristin's voice was evident.

"I trust you can," Bridger assured with a confidence that boosted the moral of the entire bridge staff. "Have you manufactured enough to contain the agent?"

"According to the specs of the target facility and the amount of chemicals we believe to be contained inside, yes."

"Deploy it." Bridger's eyes didn't waver as he issued the order. His gaze shifted to Ford. "On the back of a non-nuclear missile. Enough charge destroy the facility only. I don't want to kill innocents if we can avoid it. How far out are you?"

O'Neill could see Ford's entire demeanor change; the relief was visible on his face. It was good to see. Ford had been entirely too tense during their trip. Though, with good reason. O'Neill wouldn't have wanted to be in his shoes.

"Two hundred miles off the southern coast."

"Has intelligence come back with any counter measures they may have put in place?"

"No, sir," Ford answered with certainty. "They don't even know we're coming."

"Get that stuff on the ground as quickly as possible and when McGath contacts you, put him through to me."

"He's not going to be happy, sir."

Bridger's eyes hardened. "Leave him to me." He glanced over at Kristin but she had already begun to move. She was nothing if not thorough. O'Neill remembered her well from their first tour.

"Already on it," she told him and her vid screen flipped off as she disappeared from view.

"Keep me informed, Commander," Nathan ordered.

"Aye, sir."

The screen flipped off and O'Neill noticed the wide smile that spread across the Commander's face. "Well, let's get to it!"

Ford turned to O'Neill. "Get acting chief Richards to the science lab. I want him and his men to help Doctor Westphalen load the anti-toxin onto the missiles."

"Aye, sir." O'Neill touched his headset and relayed the order to the acting chief of security.

* * *

Doctor Wendy Smith stood at Nathan's bedside with her arms folded across her chest. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance and her pale skin went even lighter as she tried not to pay attention to the conversation.

In front of her, the captain stubbornly fielded a flurry of questions from the communications unit sitting on the small table in front of him.

"Bill, every option hasn't been exhausted. Let Kristin test her anti-agent against the chemical."

"Jameson is pissed, Nathan."

"Why? Because he's always wanted a chance to deploy a nuclear payload and this situation has given him the reason and opportunity to do so?" Bridger's face was red with anger. "I won't let him use my boat and my people in that way."

"It's not your boat, Nathan . . ."

"It is until I resign, am killed - or relieved of command," Bridger retorted angrily.

"Captain Bridger, you are one hell of a thorn in my side," Secretary General McGath said as he walked into the vid frame. "The joint chiefs are furious that you countermanded my order and gave the okay to fire that anti-toxin."

"If it doesn't work, you can follow it up with a nuke, Mr. Secretary," Bridger offered with a shrug of his shoulders. "But at least give them the chance to see if it works. Don't start a nuclear war until you've exhausted every last option." Bridger leaned forward and winced. Wendy kept herself out of view but carefully watched the monitors and the injured man for any sign that necessitated she terminate the call.

"You're lucky we came to the exact same conclusion. A decision takes a little longer when you have so many Confederations voicing their opinion," McGath admitted, and Wendy exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Doctor Westphalen is the most qualified to develop an anti-toxin as she's the most experienced scientist on the scene. But - if it doesn't work, seaQuest will be ordered to fire its nuclear payload on that facility."

Bridger set his jaw and Wendy could see the captain fight to keep control over his temper. "I understand."

"And you will not countermand the order." McGath was as stern as Wendy had ever seen him. But she could see in his eyes, and in his tone, that he hoped Bridger would not feel the need to try.

Wendy glanced at Bridger's stoic face as he answered slowly, "No."

"Thank you. We'll be in touch, Captain." McGath leaned forward and disconnected the link.

Wendy moved in immediately and slid the table holding the vid-link away. "You need to rest now." She loaded a syringe and slowly emptied the contents into his IV line.

Bridger stared hard at the woman but after a moment relented, his exhaustion and the medication being used to treat his injuries forcing him to relax.

Wendy noticed him cast a look at the dark screen. "It'll be right here but you can call someone else if you need." She placed the button to call for aid in the captain's hand and patted his wrist. "Get some rest, Nathan."

Her stomach fluttered when he turned tired eyes on her and leaned back heavily into the mattress.

"Get Lucas for me, will you?" he asked quietly. He sounded weak and frail all of a sudden. She knew that he wasn't trying to put on any kind of tough act with her, like he'd done with McGath. He was just tired and relaxed now.

Only when she nodded did his eyes slip shut.

Wendy momentarily resented the fact that he didn't want her to stay, but the feeling didn't last. Their time had come and gone in seemingly the blink of an eye. He hadn't pursued her other than admitting to a mutual attraction. She'd come to terms with it and they'd settled into a comfortable friendship instead.

Still, at times like these, she wished things had turned out differently. She reached down and touched his cheek. His eyelids fluttered but he didn't wake and she did nothing more than press her lips gently to his forehead.

"I hope she knows just how lucky she is," Wendy whispered gently before straightening and leaving the room.

* * *

Kristin Westphalen hurried out of the mag-lev and pushed the control that would open the clam shell doors to the bridge. She shifted impatiently from one foot to the other and slipped through the chrome as soon as there was enough space to do so.

"Jonathan, they're ready," Kristin breathed as she came to a stop beside the acting captain.

Ford looked up from his station. "Excellent. Weapons Control, flood tubes one through five and prepare to fire Doctor Westphalen's torpedoes."

"Aye, sir."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kristin noticed O'Neill squint at his controls. She arched her neck toward him so that Ford would notice.

"What is it, Mr. O'Neill?"

"Tubes flooded and ready to fire, sir," came the response from weapons control.

O'Neill suddenly ripped his headset off his head and pushed the heel of his hands to his ears. Ford and Kristin were at his side in an instant as the man shook his head and groaned. They both looked down at the small piece of equipment, able to hear the sounds echoing through it from a few feet away.

Tony Piccolo squinted at O'Neill from his temporary WSKR control station. "What is that?"

"Sir," O'Neill shook his head, speaking breathlessly as he tried to recover. "I was monitoring security in the missile control room. It sounded like some kind of loud scraping, or a fight of some kind. And I think I heard some shots fired!"

Ford reached out and clicked on the comm line. "Ford to security. Richards? Come in?"

When they received no response, Kristin exchanged a worried look with the Commander. "Damnit, not now." He straightened and motioned to Dagwood. "I need you to-"

The boat suddenly shook violently to one side, tossing everyone who was not already sitting off their feet. Kristin went flying forward into O'Neill and Ford fell into the closest console in front of him. Only Dagwood standing behind them clutching his mop managed to stay upright.

O'Neill snapped his headset back on and began to call into it. With a horrified look, he turned to Ford. "They're not answering, sir."

"Commander!" Lonnie Henderson called from her station. "There's been an explosion in the missile control room, sir. We're taking on water."

Ford pushed himself to his feet and whirled on Lonnie. "Do what you can to seal it off, but we need to get down there."

Kristin turned a horrified gaze on Ford. "The anti-toxin. We've got to get it on the ground!"

Ford's eyes darted around the room before settling on Kristin. "You've got the bridge, Doctor. I need to find out what's going on."

Kristin stared incredulously at Ford's back as he pushed Dagwood off the bridge. O'Neill remembered the last time she'd been in charge of the bridge. They'd saved a few lives -but she'd gotten in trouble. And yet, Ford trusted her to give her command. In the end, that's all O'Neill needed to hear.

Everyone stared as Kristin looked around the room.

"I don't suppose we can fire any missiles?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a half-grin.

Lonnie's hands flew across her console. "I think I can get one or two off, ma'am."

Kristin turned toward weapons control. "Will that knock out the facility?"

"If they're charged to maximum, maybe," came the shaky answer from weapons control. "But you've loaded five with the anti-toxin, so that the chemicals will be contained within the blast radius and not spread outward by the explosion."

Kristin pumped her hand angrily in the air. "Damn! Hold your fire, then. We need to send them all up at once."

"I don't know if that's going to be possible. It's flooding pretty quickly," Lonnie offered with wide-eyes.

O'Neill turned a worried look on Kristin and she immediately issued an order. "Open a channel to Ford and then get me Nathan."

"What about-"

Kristin anticipated O'Neill's question and dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "They'll want a nuke fired instead." She favored them all with a tight, inquisitive stare. "Do any of you want to be the one to push that button?"

An uncomfortable silence settled over the bridge as everyone exchanged worried, uncertain looks.

TBC

* * *

What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know.


	14. Chapter 13 End

**Notes**: I'm going to be busy all weekend and because you left such lovely comments, I wanted to post the end of this today.

Many of you who remember a specific episode from Season 1 will see the inspiration for one of the scenes in this chapter came from that episode. The events that led me to write the scene just fell into place so well I just had to go with it.

**i-miss-seaquest-season1 **– You didn't leave an e-mail address or log in to review or I'd have sent you a private message:) Thanks for the comments and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I do have another one after this, though it's an AU for season 1. I'm not sure if I'll post it. I don't usually write AU's. But, we'll see.

Hope you've all enjoyed this tale. This is the last chapter. The whole story ended up being 170 pages when I was done re-writing and editing. Much longer than I anticipated.

Thanks to mal4prez for beta'ing this story for a show she's not all that interested in!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

As Ford led Dagwood toward the missile control room, additional security fell into step beside them. One offered him a hand-held weapon as they walked briskly around the corner. Once they reached the closed door, the two security officers took up defensive positions on either side and pulled out their weapons. With caution, Ford reached out and pushed open the door.

Other than the sound of water gushing into the room, he saw nothing. Once inside, Ford immediately noticed the bodies of two security officers and when he looked around the large terminal in the center of the room, he saw the other, acting chief Richards, pointing a gun at them.

"Richards, what are you doing?" Ford roared over the water pouring into the room.

"They'll all die if I do it." The man was trembling. He was soaking wet and blood was seeping from a cut on the side of his head.

"Who? What have you done?" Ford demanded.

"I couldn't let you fire those torpedoes." The man was shaking, and so was the gun. "They've got my family. They'll kill 'em."

Ford's comm chirped and when he didn't answer it, the vid-screen in the corner of the room blinked on. Sparks flew around the frame as water connected with electrical equipment but the picture remained stable for the moment. Voices were cut off as they spoke, only to return moments later in mid sentence.

"Jonathan, what's going on?" Kristin asked her eyes wide and her expression dire. Static crackled across the line.

"We have a saboteur. Transfer control and lock everything down in here!"

"You'll be trapped, sir!" Piccolo's concerned face appeared beside Kristin's. Static drowned out most of his reply.

"You need to fire all of the torpedoes or you won't be able to neutralize that chemical! The tubes are already flooded. Try and get them all off!" Ford ordered without delay. The water was at the team's ankles now and Ford knew they had to act quickly before the firing mechanisms shorted. By the confused look on Kristin's face, he wasn't sure if she had heard everything. With a brief, almost incomprehensible nod to security, they proceeded further into the room. As they moved forward to subdue Richards, he fired.

Everyone ducked as the bullet ricocheted around their heads. Sparks flew and Ford squinted when Dagwood glanced down at his arm once the pinging stopped. Blood flowed from a gash there and he cocked his head to the side and drew a finger along the red line.

"Everyone get out, now!" Ford cried to his team and then turned toward Kristin on the static-y vid screen. "You have them seal off this area. Do you understand?"

"You'll be trapped with the rising water, Jonathan!" If she hadn't heard him, he was certainly close enough now for her to read his lips. And the concern in her eyes made Jonathan wish he had a special lady back home who would mourn him when he died.

"No one's leaving!" Richard's hands shook as he pointed his gun toward Ford. But before he could say another word, Dagwood charged at him from the side. Richards got one shot off, which ricocheted around their heads and finally sank, amidst a shower of sparks, into a nearby console.

Security rushed forward and subdued the irate man and Ford quickly ushered everyone out of the room. Once they pulled the door closed, he turned the hatch control to lock it and lifted his PAL off his belt.

"Seal it, Lonnie! We're out!"

* * *

Just as Kristin turned toward weapons control, O'Neill called out, "Captain Bridger on the link, Doctor!"

"Put him on-" The image blinked onto the front vid-screen before she could even finish the order.

"Kristin? What's going on?" The concern in Nathan's eyes sent a warm tingle through her very cold limbs.

"Hold on, Nathan." Kristin turned toward weapons control. "Fire them all!"

"Kristin, where's Jonathan?" Nathan asked and she saw him wince when he tried to sit up further in the bed. O'Neill's call had obviously woken him up.

"Subduing a saboteur, Nathan," Kristin said distractedly. Her attention was focused on weapons control and on the man whose hand hovered over the firing mechanism. "Fire those torpedoes!"

"The anti-toxin ones?" Kristin could hear Nathan ask behind her. His voice had taken on a carefully measured edge. "Kristin?"

Kristin whirled on the vid-screen. "Yes!"

"Secretary General McGath and Admiral Noyce on the link, doc," O'Neill called over the commotion.

"Oh bloody hell, not now!" Kristin growled. "Fire them already!" She felt an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu settle like a wet blanket over her shoulders. She'd been in this position before, and if possible, she was even more annoyed when the military officer didn't fire on her order – just like he hadn't the last time.

The weapon's control officer hesitated, and uncertainty simmered in his eyes. "Ma'am, I can't. I need authorization."

"I have to connect them," O'Neill said, his face filled with apology.

"What the hell is going on?" McGath demanded as he and Admiral Noyce stared into the vid-screen. "Where's Commander Ford?"

Kristin huffed indignantly and relayed the information as quickly and succinctly as she could. "We've had a saboteur try to destroy the missile bay. Commander Ford is subduing him. I'm trying to get your people here to fire the anti-toxin torpedoes." The frustration was evident on her face but she knew Nathan trusted her judgment.

"Weapons control, obey that order and fire." Nathan's command took on a surprising air of authority as his voice echoed through the bridge.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Noyce concurred with an impatient glare and a shrug of his shoulders.

A triumphant smile spread across Kristin's face when she turned from the vid-screen and stared down the weapon's control officer. "Fire all of them."

Having received the proper authorization, the officer nodded. "Firing."

The ship shuddered slightly as each torpedo shot from its tube.

"Mr. Piccolo." Kristin's eyes settled on Nathan as he began to issue commands from his hospital bed. "Split the screen and let us see the impact zone."

Kristin could see the strain in Nathan's eyes and hear it in his voice but she noticed the lines of worry creasing McGath and Noyce's faces had lessoned as soon as he took control. It didn't seem to matter that he was doing it from a hospital bed thousands of miles from the scene.

The screen to the side of them blinked on and all attention was focused on the image of the torpedoes racing toward their target. But she kept her eyes on Nathan's pale face and offered him a small smile when his eyes locked with hers.

"Impact in five, four, three, two, one," Piccolo called out as his eyes scanned his console.

A bright fireball and a dark plume bubbled into the sky over the target zone when each missile struck its target.

"Do you have confirmation that the facility has been destroyed?" McGath asked. His eyes darted from Kristin to Nathan to the map and back again.

Nathan's eyes slid past Kristin. "Piccolo?"

Tony's hands tapped out a rapid beat on the keyboard until he confirmed, "Yeah. That building is more than gone. Gonna be ash a few dozen feet into the ground, too."

"Get an air sample immediately."

Everyone turned to see Ford and Dagwood hurry back onto the bridge. Their clothing was soaked and Ford had a deeply concerned look on his face.

"Good of you to join us, Commander." Kristin recognized the teasing in Nathan's voice and Ford's eyes widened. She noticed the blood on Dagwood's arm and hurried over to him.

Ford's eyes darted from the three screens. "Good to see you, captain, Admiral, Mr. Secretary. We caught the saboteur." He turned to Kristin, who had pulled a med unit from the wall and was currently applying an ointment to Dagwood's arm. "What happened?"

"Target blown to ash, sir," Piccolo answered with a lopsided grin on his face.

"We need an air reading on the area, Commander," McGath said as an aide moved to his side and handed him a piece of paper. He took a moment to read it and then lifted his head.

"You may want to see this," McGath said as the impact zone was replaced by an image of a very irate, red-faced man.

"This is President Salvador Vargas of the South American Confederation. You have fired on a civilian facility and such actions have been considered by my government as an act of war. We will use any and all means at our disposal to destroy you."

Kristin looked up from her task, eyes wide with horror. They couldn't have made a mistake like that. The readings had been too precise. "He's lying," she said firmly.

McGath raised his hand and nodded to someone to the side of him then straightened his jacket and folded his hands atop his desk. The vid-screen flickered and Kristin realized that they were now watching a live feed probably being broadcast to the world.

"This is Secretary General McGath of the UEO. Your continued attempts to delay and harm members of our allied Confederations have resulted in an embargo of your nation. As a direct result of your biological and chemical weapons testing and development, I authorized a series of strategically coordinated attacks which did not destroy a civilian outpost, but that very facility where you were manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. You _will_ submit to an on site inspection of that destroyed facility or we will continue bombing additional strategic military targets."

Ford leaned over to Kristin and whispered, "I certainly hope he doesn't expect seaQuest to do the bombing. Our missile control room is under water."

Kristin returned the whisper. "Let's hope not."

Vargas disconnected the link with a colorful curse, Kristin returned her attention to Dagwood's arm and Ford stepped forward to address the Secretary General. "Sir, with all due respect, seaQuest is in no condition to stay in the area and continue bombing. Our missile control room us partially under water. We need to put to port for repairs."

"Understood, Commander," McGath nodded. "We have other ships on their way to the region. We need you to remain only until the air quality reports have come back, ensuring that your anti-toxin has worked."

Kristin looked up from Dagwood's arm. "My team was authorized to begin testing as soon as the torpedoes landed. We should have those results shortly." She finished the wrapping and smiled patiently at the GELF.

"Thank you Doctor Westphalen. We will await your report."

The link blinked off until it was just Nathan on the screen now. Kristin took a step forward and shot him a teasingly sincere grin. "You look like hell."

A few chuckles erupted around the bridge and even Nathan grinned, but then stopped suddenly and clutched his chest. "Don't _do_ that," he admonished. "It hurts to laugh."

A warm, concerned smile spread across her face and into her eyes. "Rest, Nathan. We'll be back soon."

"You'd better be." His eyes met Kristin's for a brief moment before the link disconnected.

* * *

Two days passed before seaQuest made it back to New Cape Quest for repairs. Kristin had kept herself busy in the lab making sure that none of the harmful toxin had escaped the torpedo's blast radius. By all reports and accounts, it had been eradicated.

A mop up of a different military kind was now underway, but she couldn't concern herself with that. She'd done her part and now she wanted desperately to get to the NCQ Naval hospital to see Nathan. Other than one brief conversation, she hadn't seen or spoken with him in two days.

She and Ford were the last of the crew to disembark and they took a car to the hospital together. While on the short ride, Kristin was surprised when Ford turned to her and admitted, "We really miss you on seaQuest, you know." It was the only time in the last 48 hours where they'd really had a quiet moment to talk.

Kristin hesitated for a moment before answering. "I – miss it sometimes myself."

"So does the captain." The unspoken meaning was evident by the knowing look on his face.

Kristin felt a hot flush creep up her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sure he doesn't argue with his current CMO as much as he did with me. That'll be good for his blood pressure."

"A good argument keeps a man on his toes," Ford said absently.

Kristin laughed and rested her hand on his arm. "Oh, I'm sure no man welcomes an argument with me."

Ford shot her a sidelong look. "We don't win too very often, do we?"

Her eyes twinkled. "Damages the ego, doesn't it?"

They were still laughing when the car pulled up to the hospital. They walked in together and were greeted by various people as they made their way to the critical care unit.

Ford stopped outside the closed door and turned to Kristin. "Go ahead in, I want to go see how Brody, Ortiz and the others are doing."

Kristin hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"I gave him a report last night. I'm sure he'd rather see your face than mine." Ford winked at her and then turned on his heel and walked back in the other direction.

She pushed the door open slowly and popped her head around it - she didn't want to wake him if he was asleep. But she needn't have worried, he was sitting up dipping his spoon sideways in and out of a bowl of soup.

She leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms. "Do you know how cute it is to see a grown man look at a bowl of soup with such disgust?"

Kristin grinned when his eyes and head snapped toward her and immediately traveled down the length of her body and back up again. That particular gaze always sent tingles through her spine and today was no exception. When he slid the food tray away and extended his hand, she came quickly to his side.

She slid her hand into his. "You look good." Her eyes made a thorough examination of his face. "Not nearly as pale."

He scowled in the direction of his bowl. "You'd think I'd be green after eating this."

Kristin rolled her eyes. "Now you're just being dramatic."

Nathan looked around the room and then down at his tightly bandaged chest. "Am I?"

Kristin's expression suddenly sobered and her stomach sank into her toes. "Don't even joke about what could have happened, Nathan. I feel guilty enough over how many people died to keep us alive."

She resisted when he tugged her closer, but he didn't release her hand and she had no choice but to sit gently on the bed.

"We knew the risks and accepted them."

"Your men were following orders," she challenged. "_You_ were being stubborn."

"Do you really want to argue about this right now?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

She relented – a little. "Not really."

A smiled tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Good. Then will you come closer and kiss me please?"

Kristin leaned back and scanned his eyes, face, his chest and then back up again. "That's a rather bold and inappropriate request, isn't it, _captain_?"

A grin quirked at the corner of his mouth. "Howso? You're not a member of my crew."

Kristin tossed her hair over her shoulder with a fake air of superiority. "Maybe I'd like to be."

She fought the rising desire to just lean forward and give in to his request. His fingers absently rubbing the back of her hand made it increasingly difficult.

"I wish there was a position available," he said with a resigned sigh.

She could hear the regret in his voice and leaned forward slowly, careful not to tug in any way at his injuries. "That's all right. I think I'll be happier working on solid ground for a while."

He chuckled softly in understanding and she felt her skin pebble when he tugged again at her hand.

A neatly manicured eyebrow rose high onto her forehead. "Insistent, aren't you?"

"We have a lot of lost time to make up for," he said.

She leaned forward slowly, until her mouth was a hairs breath away. Her eyes searched his and then closed when he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.

**- 2 weeks later –**

"Do you know how much this is killing me?" Nathan looked sidelong at the woman lying beside him on the sand.

The sun was warm overhead, the temperature a bit humid, as it always tended to be in Florida. He was clad in shorts and a UEO t-shirt and she was wearing a tantalizingly low cut halter top with a short skirt that revealed far more of her creamy skin than he felt was legal.

Kristin chuckled lightly and shook her head. "You'll be allowed soon enough."

"You're a doctor, can't you just ok it?" The pleading look in his eyes made her laugh even harder.

"I'm not your doctor in this case, Nathan. You'll survive." Her eyes shifted from his desperate face out to the pier where Lucas and Darwin were splashing one another and having a grand old time.

"It's not right for a sailor to be banned from the water," he pouted and leaned back gently to lay his head down on the towel.

Kristin rolled onto her side and drummed her fingers on his arm. "Perhaps you've learned your lesson, then?"

He shifted his eyes to her face, but they slipped down to her pale neck and lower before he lifted them again. "What lesson might that be?"

"Listen to me before you make a stubborn decision that could get you shot – multiple times." Her stern look was both accusatory and playful.

He snorted and returned his gaze to the water. The longing look in his eyes urged her to shift even closer to him.

When she pillowed her head on his good shoulder, he wrapped the arm around her.

"Perhaps I can make you forget about the water for a little while," she said softly, making sure he felt her hot breath against his neck.

He turned his head and scowled at her. "I'm not allowed to do _that_ either so stop teasing me."

Kristin laughed heartily and leaned over to kiss him. The gentle exploration went on for a long time and when they parted, they were both breathing heavily. "Yes, but Nathan. . ." Kristin trailed a lone finger across his lips.

"What?" His voice had deepened and she grinned at the strain she heard there.

"Good things always come to those who wait."

"I think we've waited damn well long enough," Nathan muttered unhappily.

Her laughter echoed around them as their lips met in another soft, explorative kiss.

Out in the distance, Darwin leaped into the air over Lucas' head, very acutely aware of the beach-bound lovers.

END

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What'd you like? What'd you hate? Leave a review and let me know!


	15. Epilogue

**The previous chapter was meant to be the end of the story, but then, in keeping with the canon of the second season, I felt the story needed this epilogue. It's not an upbeat of an ending as the last chapter, but I felt it was necessary. **

**  
Amidst the tragedy and loss, there is a remembrance of the past and a hope for the future.**

**- Epilogue -**

She stood on the balcony of the beach house watching as the setting sun cast its blood-red hue across the low-hanging clouds. She didn't know how long she'd been standing there, her hair and sundress billowing out behind her in the humid breeze. She'd lost track of the time as she tried to let the sound of the waves soothe away all the pain and heartache that crackled like electricity in the air around her.

The tears had long ago dried but the paths they'd tracked down her cheeks were still visible to anyone who simply looked at her. But there was no one here anymore. She'd sent them all away. She wanted to be alone in the home that they'd shared for too brief a time. She wanted to remember everything they'd experienced together within these walls.

"_You have to leave soon, remember?" Kristin closed her eyes as his mouth trailed down her neck. Her fingers kneaded the gently flexing muscles of his arms as he held himself above her._

_They were lying together in the beach house's large bed, covered only by a thin sheet. The sun sat high overhead, indicating the time was fast approaching midday._

"_I'm the captain, the boat can't leave without me," came the muffled reply._

_Kristin chuckled and threaded her hands into his hair. She tugged the soft strands gently, not really trying to remove his mouth._

"_Nathan," she drawled and he shifted his head so that he could meet her eyes and still have access to her skin._

"_What? I'm busy."_

_She nuzzled his smooth cheek with her own. "Why'd you shave it?"_

_He lifted his heard further, trailed a lone finger down the smooth skin of her neck. "It was too rough."_

_Kristin rolled her eyes and tugged his head down to hers. She gave him a searing kiss and then pulled away, a skeptical look on her face. "It had its good qualities, too, you know."_

"_Maybe when the tour's over I'll grow it back." He dipped his head and captured her lips in a kiss which lasted long enough to leave them both panting when they parted._

_The light in her eyes dimmed just a bit and by the look on his face, she knew he'd seen it._

_He bent down and kissed her again, this time more gently. "A few months will be over before you know it."_

_Kristin tightened her arms around him and her eyes fluttered shut when he slid a hand under her leg and draped it over his thigh. A soft moan escaped her lips and the melancholy feeling fled swiftly as they spent the rest of the morning exploring what their life would be like once his second tour with seaQuest had ended. _

That last week they'd spent together had been filled with such happiness that it hurt deeply for her to remember it now.

She didn't want him to go, even though there were only a few months left until he would be home for more than a few days at a time. They'd made plans to celebrate and she had something she needed to tell him – something she hoped he'd have been ecstatic to hear.

But now she wouldn't have the chance. SeaQuest had vanished two months ago and all hands aboard were presumed lost.

She'd barely made it through the memorial service and she'd taken a leave of absence at work to take care of estate matters. He'd left everything to her, had made her executor of his will and now she was permanently surrounded by everything she loved and hated about the military and Nathan Bridger.

Kristin turned away from the ocean, away from the memories of their time on the beach, swimming with Darwin and Lucas, and rubbed her hands over the slight swell of her stomach.

"You're all I have left of him now, little one," Kristin whispered soothingly. "But I will never forget, and neither will you."

She gazed one last time at the setting sun before padding inside and closing the large wooden doors behind her.

-END –

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**Notes**: Thanks, everyone, for reading along with this tale. Your comments are very appreciated and I don't mind any constructive criticism you feel you need to send my way. Of course, I love any praise also! :)


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